Groups release guide for new CT lung screening programs

The American Thoracic Society (ATS) and the American Lung Association (ALA) have developed a guide and online toolkit to facilitate the implementation and management of CT lung cancer screening programs in the U.S.

Developed by a panel of experts including physicians, program navigators, and patient advocates, the guide provides a framework for conducting high-quality CT lung screening and covers a wide range of related topics, from radiologist training and shared decision-making to counseling on smoking cessation.

"The website and guide detail operational strategies and resources used by leaders of established [CT lung cancer screening] programs throughout the United States," wrote Dr. Carey Thomson from Harvard Medical School and Dr. Andrea McKee from Tufts University School of Medicine in a November editorial published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Such resources are designed to help institutions overcome barriers to the implementation of lung cancer screening programs and, ultimately, to help save the lives of individuals at high risk for lung cancer, they wrote.

The full guide and web-based toolkit are available at LungCancerScreeningGuide.org.