Generally, lung cancer screening is targeted for smokers but an increased instances of the disease requires it among non-smokers as well. A new study has been published in JAMA and it reveals that considerable rates of lung cancer were found among those with no known risk factors.
In this study, the researchers analyzed data from China spanning over the period of 2015 to 2021. They found LDCT detection rates in general people and noted that lung cancer detection was similar for those at high risk of the disease in comparison to those at non-high-risk. The effective screening tool for lung cancer is low dose computed tomography (LDCT). This study revealed that LDCT has a considerable detection rate of lung cancer among those without any known high-risk factors. They highight the necessity of prospective studies to evaluate the efficacy of CT screening and importance of identifying high-risk factors. Caichen Li, MD, with the Department of Thoracic Surgery and Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, China, said, “It is essential to test the generalizability of these findings in other regions and races.”
The team gathered their findings from the Guangzhou Lung-Care Project. This is the cohort study involving individuals aging 40 to 74 years. “We found that the LC detection rate among individuals classified as not high risk was comparable to that of high-risk individuals, with a higher proportion of stage 1 cancer detected in the group without high risk,” the authors advised.
The team suggest that further research id required ro identify the characteristics of lung cancer requiring therapeutic intervention to alter their prognosis. You can read the complete study here.
The information shared in this blog is for educational purposes only. You should always consult with your healthcare provider for any medical needs.
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