Performance of lung nodule computer aided detection software: effect of slice thickness on chest CT

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among men and women in the United States. It is estimated that over 150,000 people die of lung cancer annually in the USA [1], and an estimated 1 million people die of lung cancer worldwide. The overall 5-year survival rate for patients with lung cancer is 15%, a number that has not changed significantly in the last 25 years. If the cancer is detected at early stage, while it is still localized, the survival rate increases to 49% [2] or more. Smaller nodules (< 15 mm in diameter) have a higher probability of being stage I lung cancer [3,4]. It is therefore very important to identify small indeterminate nodules on chest CT scans. These nodules can then be evaluated to determine their etiology by various methods, including measurement of growth on sequential scans.

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