More lung cancer facilities may not mean more screening

Thursday, November 30 | 11:50 a.m.-12:00 p.m. | SSQ05-09 | Room S402AB

The availability of screening facilities does not necessarily affect lung cancer outcomes, according to this preliminary analysis of the American College of Radiology Lung Cancer Screening Registry.

Findings from the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) published in 2011 revealed that low-dose CT lung cancer screening led to decreases in mortality. Taking this into account, Drs. Paniz Charkhchi and Ruth Carlos from the University of Michigan set out to detail the availability of lung cancer screening facilities in each state and assess their relationship to lung cancer outcome.

They identified 2,423 facilities in the Lung Cancer Screening Registry. The group found a positive independent effect between the number of screening facilities per state and the proportion of individuals eligible for screening -- i.e., smokers with a 30 pack-year history.

However, the researchers found no significant correlations between the number of facilities and lung cancer outcomes. This suggests a further need to evaluate individuals' access to these facilities, they concluded.