Lung tomography in cancer patients. Full-lung tomograms in screening for pulmonary metastases.

In a retrospective study of the cases of 415 patients with various malignant neoplasms, full-lung tomography and conventional chest roentgenography were compared for accuracy in the detection of pulmonary metastases. Sufficient information was available on 410 patients to permit confirmation as to whether pulmonary metastases were present at the time of screening chest roentgenographic and tomographic examinations. On screening by routine chest roentgenography, metastases were detected in 36 patients, 66.7% of the total with confirmed metastatic disease. Screening by full-lung tomography identified metastases in 51 (94.4%). Fifteen patients with normal chest roentgenograms had metastatic lesions on tomograms. Metastases were detected in 8.8% by chest roentgenograms and in 12.4% by tomograms in a population of cancer patients with a 13.2% incidence of pathologically confirmed metastatic lesions.