Lung cancer is the leading cause of death from cancer in both men and woman in the US, killing approximately 160,000 people in 1998, more than the combined total of the next three highest cancer killers: cancers of the colon, breast and prostate. Lung cancer is so deadly because it has usually spread by the time it is initially diagnosed. Almost 85% are discovered at a late stage, so the cure rate is only 12% . Each year, 172,000 new cases of lung cancer will be detected, and the great majority will be lethal within 1-5 years.
Lung Score has been developed in response to exciting new scientific data which suggests that the cure rate for lung cancer may be improved through periodic screening of high risk individuals using low dose CT scanning. Although the scientific study which provides the rationale for LungScore is still in its early stages, the results have been compelling. Life Score therefore has designed a program intended to identify lung cancer in its earliest stages, when removal of the tumor has the highest likelihood of being curative. Life Score has developed a proprietary program, called Lung Score, to help in the prevention of lung cancer. Life Score uses electron beam CT (EBCT) scanning to identify lung cancer in its earliest stages (less than 5mm), when removal of the tumor has the highest likelihood of being curative. Patients are placed into risk groups based on their scanning results. Patients are scheduled for follow-up to assess whether there are any new nodules and/or growth in existing nodules. In addition to the lung scan, patients also receive pulmonary function testing. This test reveals whether there are any signs of airway damage from smoking or other causes. This information is incorporated into the final report. 
The Early Lung Cancer Action Project (ELCAP) was initiated in 1992 to assess the usefulness of annual low dose radiation CT screening for lung cancer. ELCAP enrolled 1,000 symptom-free volunteers aged 60 years or older, with at least 10 pack-years of cigarette smoking ( i.e.smoking at least one pack per day for at least 10 years) and no prior history of lung cancer. 522 patients were enrolled at the New York Hospital-Cornell University Medical College and 478 at New York University Medical Center. Chest radiographs and low-dose CT were done for each participant. Dr. Claudia I. Henschke of the Weill Medical College of Cornell University is the lead author on the landmark paper appearing in Lancet . Dr. Henschke has stated that early low dose CT screening could allow as many as 80% of lung cancer patients to survive at least 5 years. Currently, only 15% live that long. Participants were given both chest x-rays and CT scans. The success rates of both techniques for detecting pulmonary nodules were compared. Results clearly indicated the superiority of CT scanning.  Low dose CT scanning found 559 nodules vs. 196 found with chest x-ray. Nodules were divided into benign calcified nodules, or non-calcified nodules. Low dose CT identified 233 patients having from one to six non-calcified nodules. Chest x-ray only identified the non-calcified nodules in 33 of these patients. 23% of patients had non-calcified nodules on low dose CT screening vs. only 7% with chest x-ray screening.

