Lung cancer screening

Abstract

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, including in Korea. Although various treatment modalities have been developed, the prognosis of patients with lung cancer is still very unfavorable. Most patients with lung cancer are diagnosed at an advanced stage, and palliative care remains the only therapeutic option for these patients. Accordingly, early detection of lung cancer may lead to a decrease in lung cancer-related mortality. Therefore, considerable interest has been generated in the development of screening tools to detect lung cancer at an early stage. Although chest radiography and sputum cytological evaluation have been used to screen patients for lung cancer, the sensitivity and specificity of these procedures are not adequate. Recently, low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) has emerged as a promising screening technique, and several trials have demonstrated its benefit in the high-risk population. One such well-designed and well-conducted trial, the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST), showed a 20% reduction in lung cancer-related mortality. Based on the results of NLST and other trials, screening for lung cancer using LDCT is recommended in asymptomatic patients who are at a high risk for lung cancer, with regard to age and smoking history. The present report is a comprehensive review of available evidence on the benefits and risks of lung cancer screening and summarizes some recommendations.