International Journal of Clinical Research

Objective To investigate the diagnostic value of low-dose CT (LDCT) imaging features combined with serum tumor markers in early lung cancer screening. Methods A total of 450 subjects who underwent early lung cancer screening at our hospital from January 2025 to January 2026 were selected. These patients were pathologically confirmed and divided into an experimental group (lung cancer patients, 250 cases) and a control group (benign pulmonary lesions/healthy individuals, 200 cases). All patients underwent low-dose CT and serum tests for CEA, CYFRA21-1, CA125, CA199, ProGRP, and NSE. The diagnostic value of LDCT, serum markers alone, and their combination in early lung cancer was evaluated using ROC curve analysis, with assessment of AUC, sensitivity, and specificity. Results The experimental group exhibited significantly higher rates of abnormal lung detection by low-dose CT and elevated serum levels of CEA, CYFRA21-1, CA125, CA199, ProGRP, and NSE compared to the control group. ROC analysis revealed that the AUC for early-stage lung cancer detection by low-dose CT alone was 0.836, with a sensitivity of 81.20% and specificity of 77.50%. The AUC for combined detection of multiple serum markers was 0.801, with a sensitivity of 76.80% and specificity of 82.00%. The combined detection showed an AUC of 0.925, with a sensitivity of 93.60% and specificity of 89.00%, both significantly superior to individual detection. The detection rate of pulmonary abnormalities in the experimental group using LDCT and the levels of serum CEA, CYFRA21-1, and NSE were significantly higher than those in the control group. ROC analysis showed that the AUC of LDCT alone for early lung cancer detection was 0.836, with sensitivity of 81.20% and specificity of 77.50%; the AUC of combined serum marker detection was 0.801, with sensitivity of 76.80% and specificity of 82.00%; the AUC of combined detection was 0.925, with sensitivity of 93.60% and specificity of 89.00%, all significantly superior to single detection. Conclusion LDCT combined with serum CEA and multiple markers can significantly improve the sensitivity and specificity of early lung cancer screening, reduce missed diagnoses and misdiagnoses, and is the preferred screening protocol for high-risk populations.

Low-dose CT; Serum multiple biomarkers; Lung cancer; Early screening; Diagnostic efficacy