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Nonexperimental Evaluation of the Effectiveness of a Screening Program for Lung Cancer

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 October 2009

K. Ebeling
Affiliation:
Humboldt University Faculty of Medicine
P. Nischan
Affiliation:
Humboldt University Faculty of Medicine

Abstract

The effectiveness of screening to control lung cancer was examined in the German Democratic Republic by analyzing data from a cancer registry and incidence and mortality rates for lung cancer relative to different screening policies, and by two case-control studies. Mortality from lung cancer did not appear to be affected by the screening programs studied. The high cost of mass screening, combined with uncertainty about the benefits of early treatment of lung cancer, outweigh the vague advantages of such screening.

Type
General Essays
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1992

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