Lung Cancer Screening in Adults: State-of-the-Art and Policy Mapping (2025).

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Public Health Policy
• Radiology

Background:

• Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer mortality in Europe, often diagnosed at advanced stages.
• Low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening reduces lung cancer mortality in high-risk individuals.
• EU recommendations promote structured, population-based lung cancer screening programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To map the current landscape of lung cancer screening (LCS) policies in European countries.
• To provide a cross-sectional overview of LCS strategies in 27 EU Member States and 3 non-EU European countries.
• To assess the implementation status of LDCT-based LCS initiatives.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review and structured policy mapping approach was employed.
• Data were collected up to July 2025 from national screening observatories, WHO, health authorities, and literature.
• Policies were assessed across 30 European countries.

Main Results:

• LDCT-based LCS is implemented in 7 EU countries (25.9%) and the UK (33.3% of non-EU).
• Initiatives include national programs (Croatia, Germany), pilot programs (Czechia, Poland, Italy, Hungary, Spain), and national programs (UK).
• Most initiatives use annual LDCT screening; other countries lack organized LCS but plan pilots.

Conclusions:

• LDCT screening for lung cancer is progressively expanding in Europe.
• Significant variability in national policies hinders broader implementation and equitable access.
• Harmonized, evidence-based strategies are crucial for effective LCS rollout.