Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 2, 2026
11:34
Building Up a High-throughput Screening Platform to Assess the Heterogeneity of HER2 Gene Amplification in Breast Cancers
Published on: December 5, 2017
13.1K
Assessing Lung Cancer Screening Programs under Uncertainty in a Heterogeneous Population
Henk Broekhuizen1, Catharina G M Groothuis-Oudshoorn2, Rozemarijn Vliegenthart3
1Radboud University Medical Center, Department of Health Evidence, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Summary
Blood biomarkers and breath analysis are preferred for lung cancer screening over low-dose computed tomography (LDCT). Patient preferences for screening methods are crucial for maximizing attendance.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Public Health
- Medical Decision Making
Background:
- Lung cancer screening is vital for reducing mortality.
- Current implementation studies often overlook participant preferences, focusing mainly on low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) and clinical factors.
- This study investigates the perceived value of different lung cancer screening modalities from the target population's perspective.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the perceived value of lung cancer screening programs using low-dose computed tomography (LDCT), breath analysis (BA), and blood biomarkers (BB).
- To understand participant preferences for screening attributes beyond clinical performance.
- To inform the development of more participant-centered lung cancer screening strategies.
Main Methods:
- A multi-criteria decision analysis framework was employed.
- Seven screening attributes (sensitivity, specificity, radiation, duration, waiting time, location, mode) were weighted based on earlier Dutch study data.
- Clinical performance data from trials and expert opinion were used, incorporating probabilistic uncertainty and analyzing preference heterogeneity.
Main Results:
- Blood biomarkers (BB) and breath analysis (BA) showed higher mean overall values (0.58 and 0.57, respectively) compared to LDCT (0.44).
- Seventy-seven percent of respondents preferred BB or BA.
- Breath analysis (BA) was particularly valued by individuals eligible for earlier screening trials.
Conclusions:
- Blood biomarkers (BB) and breath analysis (BA) are perceived as valuable due to their potential primary care applicability.
- While LDCT remains strong due to evidence, non-clinical factors are essential for maximizing screening program attendance.
- Integrating patient preferences into screening program design can enhance uptake and effectiveness.
Keywords:
lung cancer screeningmulticriteria decision analysispublic preferencessubgroup analysisuncertaintyMore Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
04:08The Uncertainty Principle
31.9K
Werner Heisenberg considered the limits of how accurately one can measure properties of an electron or other microscopic particles. He determined that there is a fundamental limit to how accurately one can measure both a particle’s position and its momentum simultaneously. The more accurate the measurement of the momentum of a particle is known, the less accurate the position at that time is known and vice versa. This is what is now called the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. He...
31.9K
02:46Uncertainty in Measurement: Reading Instruments
52.0K
Counting is the type of measurement that is free from uncertainty, provided the number of objects being counted does not change during the process. Such measurements result in exact numbers. By counting the eggs in a carton, for instance, one can determine exactly how many eggs are there in the carton. Similarly, the numbers of defined quantities are also exact. For example, 1 foot is exactly 12 inches, 1 inch is exactly 2.54 centimeters, and 1 gram is exactly 0.001 kilograms. Quantities...
52.0K
00:59Uncertainty: Overview
1.7K
In analytical chemistry, we often perform repetitive measurements to detect and minimize inaccuracies caused by both determinate and indeterminate errors. Despite the cares we take, the presence of random errors means that repeated measurements almost never have exactly the same magnitude. The collective difference between these measurements - observed values - and the estimated or expected value is called uncertainty. Uncertainty is conventionally written after the estimated or expected value.
1.7K
03:34Uncertainty in Measurement: Significant Figures
81.9K
All the digits in a measurement, including the uncertain last digit, are called significant figures or significant digits. Note that zero may be a measured value; for example, if a scale that shows weight to the nearest pound reads “140,” then the 1 (hundreds), 4 (tens), and 0 (ones) are all significant (measured) values.
81.9K
00:54Uncertainty: Confidence Intervals
11.7K
The confidence interval is the range of values around the mean that contains the true mean. It is expressed as a probability percentage. The interpretation of a 95% confidence interval, for instance, is that the statistician is 95% confident that the true mean falls within the interval. The upper and lower limits of this range are known as confidence limits. The confidence limits for the true mean are estimated from the sample's mean, the standard deviation, and the statistical factor...
11.7K
02:04Conservation of Small Populations
17.3K
Small population sizes put a species at extreme risk of extinction due to a lack of variation, and a consequent decrease in adaptability. This weakens the chances of survival under pressures such as climate change, competition from other species, or new diseases. Large populations are more likely to survive pressures such as these, as such populations are more likely to harbor individuals that have genetic variants that are adaptive under new stresses. Small populations are much less...
17.3K