A new study has found that an advanced CT scan method, called photon-counting CT, may be much better than regular CT scans for people with lung cancer.
This new method provides clearer images, lowers radiation exposure, and leads to fewer side effects. The study was published in the journal Radiology and included 200 adults with lung cancer.
Lung cancer is the deadliest cancer worldwide, causing nearly one out of five cancer deaths. To check for tumors and decide on treatment plans, doctors use CT scans. Traditional CT scans average the energy from X-rays to create images, while photon-counting CT directly measures each X-ray particle.
This gives much sharper images and helps doctors see the difference between healthy and unhealthy tissue.
According to Dr. Songwei Yue, a professor and radiology expert in China, following up with imaging helps doctors find returning cancer early in many patients. But using traditional CT scans often can lead to problems, like kidney damage from contrast dye and too much radiation.
In this study, two groups of 100 people with lung cancer were compared. One group had a photon-counting CT scan, and the other had a traditional CT scan. Both groups were similar in age, weight, cancer type, kidney health, and other key traits.
The researchers found that the photon-counting CT group had 66% less radiation and 27% less iodine-based contrast dye. They also had fewer negative side effects, such as kidney problems caused by the dye.
The image quality with photon-counting CT was better too. The new scans showed small tumors more clearly and made it easier for doctors to see features that suggest the cancer might be serious. The clearer images helped radiologists feel more confident about their diagnoses.
Doctors rated the image quality using a 5-point scale, looking at how sharp the images were, how well they could see the tumor edges, and how clear the nearby body parts were.
They also checked how well the scans worked across different body types and tumor sizes. Even in people with higher body weight and smaller tumors, the photon-counting CT performed better.
The study shows that this new type of CT scan is useful for a wide range of patients. It could help doctors find lung cancer sooner and more accurately, while also reducing risks linked to radiation and dye. The researchers believe that future studies should follow patients over time using both scan types to see how well they work for long-term cancer monitoring.
Dr. Yue and the research team believe that photon-counting CT could soon replace traditional CT as the main tool for checking and following up on lung cancer. Its ability to give clearer results while being safer makes it a promising technology for the future.
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