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Asbestos Surveillance Program Aachen (ASPA): initial results from baseline screening for lung cancer in asbestos-exposed high-risk individuals using low-dose multidetector-row CT

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of lung cancer in a high-risk asbestos-exposed cohort using low-dose MDCT. Of a population of 5,389 former power-plant workers, 316 were characterized as individuals at highest risk for lung cancer according to a lung-cancer risk model including age, asbestos exposure and smoking habits. Of these 316, 187 (mean age: 66.6 years) individuals were included in a prospective trial. Mean asbestos exposure time was 29.65 years and 89% were smokers. Screening was performed on a 16-slice MDCT (Siemens) with low-dose technique (10/20 mAseff.; 1 mm/0.5 mm increment). In addition to soft copy PACS reading analysis on a workstation with a dedicated lung analysis software (LungCARE; Siemens) was performed. One strongly suspicious mass and eight cases of histologically proven lung cancer were found plus 491 additional pulmonary nodules (average volume: 40.72 ml, average diameter 4.62 mm). Asbestos-related changes (pleural plaques, fibrosis) were visible in 80 individuals. Lung cancer screening in this high-risk cohort showed a prevalence of lung cancer of 4.28% (8/187) at baseline screening with an additional large number of indeterminate pulmonary nodules. Low-dose MDCT proved to be feasible in this highly selected population.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Diagnostic Radiology, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany

    Marco Das, Georg Mühlenbruch, Andreas H. Mahnken, Rolf W. Günther & Joachim E. Wildberger

  2. Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Knappschaftskrankenhaus, Dortmund, Germany

    K. G. Hering

  3. Department of Thoracic Surgery, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

    H. Sirbu

  4. Berufsgenossenschaft für Feinmechanik und Elektrotechnik, Cologne, Germany

    W. Zschiesche

  5. Department of Occupational Health, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

    Lars Knoll, Michael K. Felten & Thomas Kraus

Authors
  1. Marco Das
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  2. Georg Mühlenbruch
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  3. Andreas H. Mahnken
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  4. K. G. Hering
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  7. Lars Knoll
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  11. Joachim E. Wildberger
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Correspondence to Marco Das.

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Das, M., Mühlenbruch, G., Mahnken, A.H. et al. Asbestos Surveillance Program Aachen (ASPA): initial results from baseline screening for lung cancer in asbestos-exposed high-risk individuals using low-dose multidetector-row CT. Eur Radiol 17, 1193–1199 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-006-0426-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-006-0426-8

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