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Vol.49 No.1 contents | Japanese/English |
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- The 23rd Lung Cancer Mass Screening Seminar -
A Comparative Study of Screening and Management Systems for Lung Cancer from the Point of View of a Cytotechnologist
Kikue Tsuchiya1, Kouji Ishiyama1, Kumiko Kamata1, Takao Sugiyamada11Department of Cytopathology, Tokyo Health Service Association, Japan
Objectives and Methods. Some cases of lung cancer diagnosed on sputum cytology. Screening is unable to be confirmed with regard to histologic type even after more detailed analysis. Therefore we decided to take a closer look at the screening process concentrating on the two areas below with the goals of earlier detection and more definitive diagnoses. (1) General medical checkups, including both those paid for by the individual and those covered by their place of employment. (2) Lung cancer screening for the members of the Anti-Lung Cancer Association (ALCA). Results. 1. Concerning general medical checkups, we requested a recall of 266 cases of which 187 complied. Of those 187, 97 were diagnosed as cancer, which the other 90 were normal. However, there is a possibility that some of the 90 normal subjects might develop cancer in later years. 2. In the ALCA group, 17 cases of confirmed squamous cell carcinoma of the lung were found by CT screening, 9 of them (52.9%) were confirmed by sputum cytology and 6 out of those 9 cases (66.6%) were detected at stage I. Two out of the 17 cases were recognized as lymph node metastasis of with a tumor diameter of less than 20 mm. Conclusion. 1. Even among those with normal findings, follow up examinations by sputum cytology and CT screening are recommended after several years to reconfirm the normal findings. 2. It is the responsibility of doctors, nurses and those in charge of general health checks to take the lead in explaining the importance of annual medical examinations and to explain simply and directly about the dangers of lung cancer. 3. It is now clear that sputum cytology screening is one of the useful screening method for the diagnosis of squamous cell cancer of the lung and should be implemented when possible.
key words: Lung cancer screening, Sputum cytology, Low-dose CT, Squamous cell carcinoma, Follow up
JJLC 49 (1): 104-108, 2009
