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Results from the American National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) show a significant reduction in lung cancer and all-cause mortality in a high risk population screened with annual low-dose CT. Handling of pulmonary nodules, false positive tests, overdiagnosis, psychosocial consequences and cost-efficiency etc. are all aspects that require careful consideration. This paper gives an overview of the current knowledge on these issues. Before a recommendation can be made, we need an overall evaluation of both the benefits and harms in CT screening for lung cancer.

Lung cancer is the cancer type that causes the largest number of deaths in Denmark. With advances in medical imaging and widespread use of computed tomography (CT), it is possible to detect even small abnormalities in lung tissue. This has led to a great interest in lung cancer screening with low-dose CT and launching of randomised screening trials worldwide. This paper gives an overview of the current lung cancer screening trials in Denmark and internationally and focuses on main lung cancer findings and mortality results.

Tracheomalacia is a rare condition involving increased flaccidity of the tracheal cartilage, widening of the posterior membranous wall and a reduced airway calibre. This combination can cause a tracheal collapse, expiratory flow obstruction and decreased clearance of secretions. We present a case of a 70-year-old woman with severe coughing symptoms and obvious tracheomalacia diagnosed with a high resolution computed tomography in the expiratory phase. On a computed tomography, tracheomalacia has an easily recognizable pattern, which is only visible during expiration. Tracheomalacia is probably an underdiagnosed condition.