CT scans for lung cancer show potential for detecting elevated coronary artery calcium

Lung cancer screening with low-dose chest computed tomography (CT) has the potential to detect coronary artery calcium too, researchers reported on Dec. 2, 2024 in the CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association

Coronary artery calcium is a significant risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients without cardiac symptoms.

“Lung cancer screening, although primarily geared towards reducing deaths from lung cancer, also has an opportunity to help tackle the second most common cause of premature death in middle-aged adults, through the identification and risk stratification of coronary atherosclerosis,” said co-author Dr. Gary Small, Ph.D, University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Ontario.

In this study, Small and his colleagues sought to determine the prevalence and prognostic utility of coronary artery calcium in a population at high risk of cancer.

The investigators reviewed CT scans from consecutive participants screened for lung cancer between March 2017 and November 2018 as part of the Ontario Health Lung Cancer Screening Pilot for People at High Risk.

They quantified the presence of coronary artery calcium using standard scoring methodology.

They found that, among 1486 subjects who underwent screening CT, coronary artery calcium appeared in 1232 subjects (82.9%) and was extensive in 439 (29.5%).

The authors concluded, “The opportunity to identify and reduce risks from coronary artery disease may represent an additional benefit of lung cancer screening….“If appropriate therapeutic responses are instituted, lung CT findings could affect survival from 2 leading causes of death: lung cancer and coronary artery disease.”