Proof Lung Cancer Screening Works!

The use of low dose CT scans (LDCTs) for lung cancer screening (LCS) in at risk patients should find lung cancer at earlier stages where cure is still possible. Previous data show this in clinical studies including I-ELCAP, NLST and NELSON. But findings in clinical studies are not always seen in general practice.

In 2013, the USPSTF guidelines recommended LDCT for LCS and in 2015, LCS became a CMS policy. These recommendations caused the Veteran Administration Medical Centers (VAMC) to strongly encourage the use of LDCTs for LCS and mandated it in 2024. Bujarksi et al showed the VAMC increased LCS 3.7 fold greater than non VA institutions who average ~5.7% use (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S009377542200046X).

Recently published data show the VAs are finding stage I lung cancers at a much higher rate than other institutions. This strongly suggests the widespread use of LDCTs for LCS will save lives by finding lung cancer early. This is further supported by a recent paper by Drew Moghanaki in Clinical Lung Cancer (https://www.clinical-lung-cancer.com/article/S1525-7304(24)00035-4/fulltext).

‘Til No One Dies of Lung Cancer!