Pulmonology Department. Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra. Coimbra. Portugal.
Radiology Department. Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra. Coimbra. Portugal.
Acta Med Port. 2023 Sep 1;36(9):559-566. doi: 10.20344/amp.16847.
The Urgeiriça mines were once the main uranium producer in Portugal. The aim of this study was to estimate the benefit of low-dose chest computed tomography (LDCT) for lung cancer screening in former miners that were considered as being at high-risk.
A subgroup of former miners of the Uranium National Company exposed to uranium and with a smoking load greater than 20 pack-years, agreed to perform a LDCT. The Fleischner Society Guidelines were used to classify the nodules and establish follow-up.
Initially, 265 former employees of the Uranium National Company were included. The mean time of employment was 15 (0 - 45) years. The non-smokers represented 50.9% and 30.2% were ever smokers; the remaining chose not to respond. One diagnosis of lung cancer was initially made. In the second phase, a subgroup of 66 former miner underwent a LDCT, 37 of whom presented pulmonary nodules. Most computed tomography (CT) scans revealed one single nodule (n = 13) and the mean size was 5 (1 - 16) mm. A suspicious 16 mm spiculated nodule was evaluated with PET/CT, and percutaneous and surgical biopsies, ultimately revealing a benign lesion.
The data highlights the importance of lung cancer screening in high-risk populations. This was, to the best of our knowledge, the first study performed in Portugal and can act as a bridge towards a wider implementation in the country.
乌尔吉里萨矿曾经是葡萄牙的主要铀矿产地。本研究旨在评估低剂量胸部计算机断层扫描（LDCT）在被认为处于高风险的前矿工中进行肺癌筛查的获益。
曾在铀国家公司工作过的铀暴露矿工和吸烟量大于 20 包年的矿工的一个亚组同意进行 LDCT。采用弗莱施纳协会指南对结节进行分类并制定随访计划。
最初纳入了 265 名铀国家公司的前员工。平均工作时间为 15 年（0-45 年）。不吸烟者占 50.9%，30.2%为曾吸烟者，其余人选择不回答。最初诊断出 1 例肺癌。在第二阶段，66 名前矿工进行了 LDCT 检查，其中 37 人有肺部结节。大多数 CT 扫描显示单个结节（n=13），平均大小为 5（1-16）mm。一个可疑的 16mm 有刺状结节进行了 PET/CT、经皮和手术活检评估，最终证实为良性病变。
这些数据突出了对高危人群进行肺癌筛查的重要性。据我们所知，这是葡萄牙进行的首次此类研究，可以为该国更广泛的实施提供桥梁。
