Study on lung cancer screening detects disease in 9 non-smokers

They are among over 530 people screened with low-dose CT scans for early detection

- Joyce Teo Senior Health Correspondent

Mr Kang Kim Choon, 60, used to get chest X-rays every two to three years to screen for lung cancer after his father was diagnosed with the disease more than a decade ago.

Doing this gave him peace of mind, as his family history puts him at an increased risk of the disease.

But about two years ago, he cancelled his X-ray appointment, after signing up for a lung screening research study by the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) in early 2023.

As part of the study, Mr Kang went for low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) scans instead.

A cancerous lung nodule, measuring 8mm, was detected in a scan he underwent in 2024. He had no symptoms then.

“I was shocked (to learn) that actually X-rays don’t really pick up nodules of a certain size,” said Mr Kang, who used to work in the IT sector.

Solstice, or Singapore Lung Cancer Screening Through Integrating CT With Other Biomarkers, is the first lung cancer screening research study here that aims to detect lung cancer early in smokers and nonsmokers with the use of LDCT scans.

Nodules smaller than 1cm would be hard to pick up in an X-ray, while those around 1cm to 2cm in size might also be missed, depending on their location, said Clinical Assistant Professor Gideon Ooi, a consultant and deputy head of NCCS’ department of oncologic imaging.

“If it’s located farther out in the side of the lung, it’s easier to see. But if it’s very close to the heart, the vessels... can block the nodule.

“So having a CT scan, because it is a 3D view of the chest, allows us to pick up these nodules better.”