Reston, Va. (May 1, 2014) — Providers worldwide now have access to the American College of Radiology (ACR) Lung Imaging Reporting and Data System (Lung-RADS®) – a quality assurance tool to standardize lung cancer screening CT reporting and management recommendations, reduce confusion in lung cancer screening CT interpretations, and facilitate outcome monitoring.

In Dec. 2013, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended screening of adults aged 55 to 80 years who have a 30 pack-year smoking history and currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires that private insurers cover all medical exams or procedures that receive a grade of “B” or higher from the USPSTF without a co-pay.

“With the USPSTF recommendation and new private insurer coverage of these exams, CT lung cancer screening programs are underway across the country. The new Lung-RADS^® is a standardized guide for CT lung cancer imaging reporting and auditing. It is designed for everyday practice and will help providers issue clear CT lung cancer imaging reports, meaningfully evaluate their performance and improve their clinical practice,” said Ella Kazerooni, MD, chair of the American College of Radiology Committee on Lung Cancer Screening. 

National Lung Cancer Screening Trial results showed that lung cancer screening with low dose CT significantly reduces lung cancer deaths. Screening for current and former smokers with low-dose computed tomography is the only method ever proven to reduce lung cancer mortality in this high-risk population and it has also been shown to be cost effective.

“This first version of Lung-RADS® is designed to improve patient care by providing standardized assessment structure and management recommendations for CT lung cancer screening,” said Dr. Kazerooni.

A longer version of Lung-RADS with a complete lexicon and Atlas, with standardized lung screening terminology and report organization, will be released in the coming months.

###

The American College of Radiology (ACR), founded in 1924, is one of the largest and most influential medical associations in the United States. The ACR devotes its resources to making imaging and radiation therapy safe, effective and accessible to those who need it. Its 36,000 members include radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists, interventional radiologists and nuclear medicine physicians.