A decade of surgical outcomes in a structured lung cancer screening program

Lung cancer screening can decrease mortality. The majority of screen-detected cancers are early stage and undergo surgical resection. However, there are little data regarding the outcomes of surgical treatment outside of clinical trials. The purpose of this study was to compare the outcomes of curative resection for screen-detected lung cancers with nonscreened, incidentally detected cancers at an institution with a structured screening program.

Patients undergoing lung cancer curative resection from January 2012 to June 2021 were identified from a prospective database. Baseline patient characteristics, tumor characteristics, and outcomes were compared between cancer detected from screening and cancer detected incidentally.

There were 199 patients in the incidental group and 82 patients in the screened group. Mean follow-up was 33.3 ± 25 months. The screened group had more African Americans (P = .04), a higher incidence of emphysema (P = .02), less prior cancers (P < .01), and more pack-years smoked (P < .01). The screened group had a smaller size (1.74 vs 2.31 cm, P < .01); however, pathologic stage was similar, with the majority being stage I. Postoperative morbidity, 30-day mortality, and overall and recurrence-free survival were similar between groups. Only 48.7% of the incidental group met current US Preventative Services Task Force screening criteria (age 50-80 years, ≥20 pack-year smoking history).

Screen-detected lung cancers have excellent postoperative and long-term outcomes with curative resection, similar to incidentally detected cancers. A large portion of incidentally detected lung cancers do not meet current screening guidelines, which is an opportunity for further refinement of eligibility.