Smokers who undergo a CT scan of their lungs more likely to quit

New research published in the scientific journal Thorax has found that smokers who undergo a CT scan of their lungs are more likely to quit smoking.

Lung cancer is one of the most common and serious types of cancer and has the highest mortality of all cancers in the UK. Around 44,500 people are diagnosed with the condition every year in the UK.

The smoking cessation analysis of the UKLS trial involved 4,055 participants aged 50 to 75.

The group was split into those who underwent low-dose CT screening for early detection of lung cancer and a control group who did not undergo screening.

Of the smokers who took part in the screening, 10 per cent had successfully quit after two weeks, and 15 per cent had quit after two years -- both higher than the 5% rates found in the control group.

The UK Lung Cancer Screening pilot trial is the first to assess the feasibility, cost-effectiveness and behavioral impact of lung cancer screening, using a single low-dose CT screen on a high-risk population in the UK.

The principal investigator of the Project, said: "The findings of this study dispute the belief that a negative screening result offers a "licence to smoke". Engaging with lung screening can give smokers an opportunity to access smoking cessation support -- at a time when they are likely to be more receptive to offers of help."

https://news.liverpool.ac.uk/2017/07/26/smokers-who-undergo-a-ct-scan-of-their-lungs-more-likely-to-quit/