Task: Sentence Composition
Input (English): The story does not mention the cost of the test. Since most costs will be covered by the patient and not by the insurance company, this is vital information for the consumer. The story adequately quantifies the benefits of treatment. Because this study had no control group, there is no way to directly compare screening to no screening – and the story explains that. Furthermore, the story rightly points out that the study looked at survival at 10 years as the outcome (although the study only followed patients for an average of 3 years and 10-year survival was estimated), not mortality, leaving open the question about whether or not screening actually extends life or if it only pushes forward the time of diagnosis (a situation known as lead-time bias). The story mentions that abnormal scans can lead to biopsies and that the scans may pick up cancers that "grow so slowly they will never pose a health problem." The story should have also mentioned radiation exposure as a potential harm and described the consequences of false positive test results. The story adequately describes the design of the current study and, very appropriately, points out the limitations – that is, lack of controls and the use of 10-year survival as an outcome instead of mortality. These are very important caveats. By accurately describing the prevalence and seriousness of lung cancer, the story avoids disease mongering. The story quotes multiple independent sources, providing much needed balance in the story. The story mentions x-rays and no screening as alternatives to CT scanning. The story does not discuss if the lung cancer screenings are available, or how widely available the screening scanners may be. The story should have mentioned that the tests are being advertised by private screening centers and some hospitals, but are not generally covered by insurance. The story states that screening for lung cancer is not a new idea, but that screening with CAT scan is relatively new. Because the story quotes multiple independent sources, the reader can assume the story did not rely on a press release as the sole source of information.
Output (English): Cancer Study Finds Promise in CAT Scans for Smokers