Innovative approaches for lung cancer screening and interception

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Pulmonology
• Radiology

Background:

• Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer death globally, often diagnosed late.
• Low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening reduces mortality but has low uptake and misses many cancers.
• Current LDCT guidelines exclude nearly half of lung cancer cases and have limitations like false positives and high costs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current status of lung cancer screening.
• To discuss disparities and infrastructure for screening implementation.
• To explore future directions in biomarkers and precancer interception.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of lung cancer screening, biomarkers, and precancer interception strategies.
• Analysis of current LDCT screening guidelines and limitations.
• Synthesis of emerging research in radiomic features and liquid biopsy.

Main Results:

• LDCT screening is effective but underutilized and has limitations.
• Novel biomarkers (radiomics, liquid biopsy) show promise for risk prediction.
• Pulmonary nodule detection necessitates strategies for precancer interception.

Conclusions:

• Improving lung cancer screening requires addressing uptake barriers and guideline limitations.
• Development of advanced biomarkers and precancer interception therapies is essential.
• Transformative changes in prevention and early intervention are needed for lung cancer.