Current Status of Lung Cancer Screening and Interpretation of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Guidelines on Lung Cancer Screening

Abstract

Lung cancer is the most leading cause of global cancer mortality, underscores the critical importance of early screening and intervention to improve the prognosis and survival time and the overall survival rates of patients. For decades, lung cancer screening guidelines have been continuously updated based on the developed evidence. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has comprehensively updated the recommendations for lung cancer screening in the 2021 version of guideline, assessed the balance of benefits and harms of lung cancer screening through a systematic review and collaborative modeling studies, and scrutinized the performance of tests using low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) for lung cancer screening. The guideline provides latest information on the start and finish time of lung cancer screening, optimal screening intervals, the relative benefits and risks of different screening strategies and updated recommendations. This article aims to interpret the updated guideline and provide recommendations for lung cancer screening in China, taking into account the epidemiology of lung cancer at home and abroad, reports on risk factors, summaries of updates to current guidelines or expert consensus, and the current status of screening.

Keywords

• lung neoplasms|screening|ldct|smoking|guidebook