Results of the national lung cancer screening trial: where are we now?

Thorac Surg Clin. 2015 May;25(2):145-53. doi: 10.1016/j.thorsurg.2014.11.002. Epub 2015 Feb 2.

Abstract

The National Lung Screening Trial was a large, multicenter, randomized controlled trial published in 2011. It found that annual screening with low-dose CT (LDCT) in a high-risk population was associated with a 20% reduction in lung cancer-specific mortality compared with conventional chest radiography. Several leading professional organizations have since put forth lung cancer screening guidelines that include the use of LDCT, largely on the basis of this study. Broad adoption of these screening recommendations, however, remains a challenge.

Keywords: Low-dose CT; Lung cancer; NLST; Screening.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Multicenter Study
  • Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Early Detection of Cancer / methods*
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging*
  • Lung Neoplasms / mortality
  • Lung Neoplasms / pathology
  • Mass Screening / methods
  • Middle Aged
  • Radiation Dosage
  • Radiation Exposure / adverse effects
  • Radiography, Thoracic* / statistics & numerical data
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed* / statistics & numerical data