Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 11, 2025
Using Micro-computed Tomography for the Assessment of Tumor Development and Follow-up of Response to Treatment in a Mouse Model of Lung Cancer
Published on: May 20, 2016
Worry About the Future Health Issues of Smoking and Intention to Screen for Lung Cancer With Low-Dose Computed
Hermine Poghosyan1, Susan Mello, Kathryn N Robinson
1Author Affiliations: School of Nursing, Bouve College of Health Sciences (Dr Poghosyan), and Communication Studies (Dr Mello), Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts; School of Nursing, University of Maine, Orono (Dr Robinson); and Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts (Dr Tan).
Background:
Early diagnosis of lung cancer is key to improving the long-term prognosis for many individuals. Still, utilization rates of lung cancer screening (LCS) remain low.
Objective:
To investigate the association between worry about future health issues of smoking and intention to undergo recommended LCS with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) within the next 3 months.
Methods:
A cross-sectional online survey was conducted using the Qualtrics Panel to recruit adult smokers between ages 54 and 75 years, with no history of lung cancer, and at least 30-pack-year smoking history (n = 152). The survey gathered demographic, socioeconomic, and psychographic information, including intention to screen for lung cancer with LDCT and worry about the future health issues of smoking. Data were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression.
Results:
Approximately 43.0% were White, 21.7% were Black, and 60.0% were female. Most (86.0%) reported intentions to undergo recommended LCS with LDCT in the next 3 months. More than one-third (32.0%) reported moderately/very worried about the future health issues of smoking. Smokers who were moderately/very worried had 20% (P = .022) higher odds of reporting an intention to undergo LCS with LDCT than those who were not at all or a little worried.
Conclusions:
Most eligible adults reported intentions to undergo LCS with LDCT. Our study also highlights sex, racial, and socioeconomic differences in LCS behavior.
Implications For Practice:
The study findings provide an opportunity for healthcare providers to have in-depth discussions about the benefits of LCS with those who express worry about future health issues of smoking.
Related Concept Videos
01:20Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System III: X-Ray
Definition and Purpose
An X-ray, or radiograph, is a non-invasive method that uses ionizing radiation to take images of internal structures. It is mainly used in cardiac imaging to examine the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels, aiming to identify abnormalities in the heart's size, shape, and position, such as heart failure, congenital defects, and vascular...
01:10Computed Tomography
The technique was invented in the 1970s and is based on the principle that as X-rays pass through the body, they are absorbed or reflected at different levels. In the technique, a patient lies on a motorized platform while a computerized axial tomography (CAT) scanner rotates...
01:30Radiological Investigation I: X-ray and CT
01:30Radiological Investigation II: MRI and Ventilation Perfusion Scan
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Ventilation Perfusion Scans are two radiological investigations that offer detailed diagnostic images of the body, particularly lung structures.
MRI
MRI uses magnetic fields and radiofrequency signals to distinguish between normal and abnormal tissues. This technology provides a more detailed diagnostic image than CT scans, enabling it to characterize pulmonary nodules, stage bronchogenic carcinoma, and evaluate inflammatory activity in...
01:25Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System VI: Calcium -Scoring CT
01:13Radiological Investigation III: Pulmonary Angiogram and PET Scan
Pulmonary Angiogram
A Pulmonary Angiogram is an invasive procedure involving injecting a contrast medium through a catheter threaded into the pulmonary artery or the right side of the heart to visualize the pulmonary vasculature. Computed Tomography (CT) scans have mainly replaced this...