Low-dose CT lung cancer screenings have increased the number of early-stage cancers detected while also decreasing the incidence of late-stage cancer diagnoses.
That’s according to a new analysis published in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology that compared lung cancer screening rates to cancer diagnoses over a five-year period at four different healthcare systems. During that time, researchers reported an 8.4% increase in Stage 1 diagnoses among patients who underwent LDCT screening.
Authors of the study noted that screening adherence varies among different communities, which makes it difficult to calculate the overall effectiveness of annual screening, as cancer risks also differ among specific populations. They sought to gain a better understanding of the efficacy of initiating screening among a large, diverse population with their research.
Of the 3,678 individuals who were diagnosed with lung cancer during the study, 404 received their diagnosis after their initial lung cancer screening. As these volumes increased, the incidence of lung cancer diagnosis after initial screening also rose—from 0% in the first quarter of 2014 to 20% by the third quarter of 2019.
While the incidence of lung cancer did not significantly differ from start to finish, stage-specific incidence did. As early-stage detection increased, the experts also noted a 6.6% decrease in Stage 4 cancer diagnoses. Authors of the study suggested that this indicates that LDCT screening achieves the desired effect of spotting lung cancer in its earliest, most treatable stages.
“Implementation of lung cancer screening at four diverse healthcare systems has resulted in a favorable shift to a higher incidence of Stage I cancer with an associated decline in Stage IV disease” lead investigator Anil Vachani, MD, with the University of Pennsylvania, and colleagues explained “Overall lung cancer incidence did not increase, suggesting a limited impact of over-diagnosis.”
The study abstract can be viewed here.
In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She joined Innovate Healthcare in 2021 and has since put her unique expertise to use in her editorial role with Health Imaging.