Computed tomography for screening purposes: a review of the literature--2003

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Preventive Medicine
• Diagnostic Procedures

Background:

• Screening asymptomatic individuals with advanced imaging techniques is increasingly common.
• Four specific procedures are reviewed: Coronary Calcium Scoring (CCS), Lung Cancer Screening (LCS), Computed Tomographic Colonography (CTC), and Whole Body Computed Tomography (WBCT).

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the existing scientific literature on the efficacy of CCS, LCS, CTC, and WBCT in reducing morbidity and mortality in asymptomatic, healthy patients.
• To identify evidence supporting the use of these screening procedures in primary prevention.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review of published studies.
• Analysis of research investigating the impact of CCS, LCS, CTC, and WBCT on health outcomes in asymptomatic populations.

Main Results:

• No published studies demonstrate a reduction in morbidity or mortality for CCS when screening asymptomatic patients.
• Limited evidence exists for LCS, CTC, and WBCT showing a decrease in morbidity or mortality in healthy, asymptomatic individuals.
• The current scientific literature does not support the routine use of these four screening procedures in healthy, asymptomatic individuals.

Conclusions:

• There is a lack of robust scientific evidence to support the use of Coronary Calcium Scoring, Lung Cancer Screening, Computed Tomographic Colonography, and Whole Body Computed Tomography for screening asymptomatic individuals.
• Further research is required to establish the clinical utility and cost-effectiveness of these imaging procedures in preventive healthcare.