New Recommendations for Lung Cancer Screening

American Cancer Society releases new guidelines

New recommendations released by the American Cancer Society (ACS) are based on evidence garnered from a review of the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST). ACS recommends screening high-risk patients for lung cancer with low-dose computed tomography provided that the following conditions exist:

• The patient is aged 55 to 74 years, has at least a 30-pack per year smoking history, and currently smokes or has quit within the past 15 years
• The patient has undergone a thorough discussion of the benefits, limitations, and risks of screening
• The patient can be screened in a setting with experience in lung cancer screening

In the new guideline report, the authors state that, “Findings from the National Cancer Institute’s National Lung Screening Trial established that lung cancer mortality in specific high-risk groups can be reduced by annual screening with low-dose computed tomography. These findings indicate that the adoption of lung cancer screening could save many lives.”

However, existing knowledge gaps related to expanding lung cancer screening eligibility still exist. The authors caution that, “As with other guidelines for cancer screening, we can expect that this initial guideline will be revised as new data become available.”

Researchers anticipate that the guidelines will help adults at high risk of lung cancer to become informed about the potential for early detection of lung cancer and that those adults may receive screenings at institutions that provide high quality services. Ultimately, study authors hope the guidelines will contribute to additional declines in lung cancer mortality.

The new recommendations are being published early online in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.

Source: American Cancer Society.