Multi-slice computed tomography as a screening tool for colon cancer, lung cancer and coronary artery disease

Recent promising trials that use low-dose CT for the early detection of lung cancer have reinvigorated the interest in screening approaches. At the same time the development of fast image acquisition techniques, such as multislice CT, have sparked renewed interest in cardiac imaging within the radiological community. In addition to special cardiac capabilities, multislice CT has several other features such as high acquisition speed and low-dose requirements that may make this modality a universal radiological screening tool. Non-invasive disease detection is the radiologist's domain. In this paper we identify criteria for effective screening and apply these criteria to screening approaches with multislice CT when used for detection of three disease entities: colon cancer; lung cancer; and cardiovascular disease.