Lung Cancer Screening

Abstract

Lung cancer is the leading cause of US cancer-related deaths. Lung cancer screening with a low radiation dose chest computed tomography scan is now standard of care for a high-risk eligible population. It is imperative for clinicians and surgeons to evaluate the trade-offs of benefits and harms, including the identification of many benign lung nodules, overdiagnosis, and complications. Integration of smoking cessation interventions augments the clinical benefits of screening. Screening programs must develop strategies to manage screening-detected findings to minimize potential harms. Further research should focus on how to improve patient selection, minimize harms, and facilitate access to screening.

Keywords: Low radiation dose chest CT scans; Lung cancer; Screening; Smoking cessation interventions.