The doctor spoke about the benefits of low-dose CT for early diagnosis of lung cancer

Low-dose computed tomography (NDKT) makes it possible to detect lung diseases in the early stages and at the same time reduces the radiation burden on the patient compared to conventional CT. Nikolay Vasiliev, a physiotherapist, told Izvestia about this on January 15.

According to him, low-dose CT is primarily used for early diagnosis of lung cancer, but the possibilities of the method are not limited to this.

"A special medical device, a multidetector computed tomograph, is needed to perform a CT scan. The scan takes less than half a minute. The patient is required to hold their breath. As a result, images with a three—dimensional image of the lungs are obtained, which allows you to see formations already from 2-3 mm, that is, in the early stages," the specialist said.

As the doctor explained, with the help of NDCT, it is possible to detect not only oncological diseases, but also pulmonary hypertension, disorders of the cardiovascular system, as well as signs of atherosclerosis. Compared with fluorography, the method is characterized by higher accuracy and the ability to detect minimal pathological changes.

Vasiliev emphasized that the widespread introduction of low-dose CT for early diagnosis of lung cancer can reduce mortality from lung diseases by 10-20%. First of all, it is recommended that people at risk undergo an examination, including active and former smokers, patients with chronic diseases, workers in hazardous industries, as well as those whose close relatives have experienced lung cancer.

At the same time, the physiotherapist noted that the procedure is considered relatively safe, but has limitations. NDKT is not recommended for pregnant and lactating women, as well as patients with severe obesity due to technical limitations of the equipment. Despite the low radiation doses, they are still present, so the decision to prescribe the study is made by the attending physician, taking into account the possible risks and the clinical picture.

Marina Sekacheva, Director of the Institute of Personalized Oncology at the First Moscow State Medical University, MD, Professor, said on January 1 that 2025 was one of the most significant periods for global and Russian oncology. According to her, one of the main breakthroughs was the success of cell therapy. Previously, CAR-T drugs were used mainly for oncohematological diseases, but in 2025, at the ASCO conference, data on the results of a phase II study on the treatment of gastric cancer using CAR-T cells were published for the first time, which increased the overall survival of patients by 40%.

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