2024 World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) - Posters-P2.04B.13 Time to Benefit: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Lung Cancer Screening Trials

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The study titled "Time to Benefit for Lung Cancer Screening: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis" investigates the time required for lung cancer screening to prevent mortality through the use of low-dose computed tomography (LDCT). The focus is on determining the "time to benefit" (TTB), crucial for screening guidelines that suggest screening only for individuals with a life expectancy exceeding the TTB to minimize potential short-term harms.<br /><br />The research was conducted by the University of California San Francisco in conjunction with the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Health Care System. The study utilized data from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) concerning lung cancer-specific mortality rates in both control and intervention cohorts. Out of the reviewed literature, eight RCTs involving a total of 88,526 participants aged 50-70 years were considered, with a follow-up ranging from 7.3 to 12.3 years.<br /><br />Key findings from the meta-analysis indicate:<br />- Screening 2,000 individuals prevents one lung cancer death after 2.2 years (with a 95% confidence interval of 1.4-3.4 years).<br />- Screening 1,000 individuals shows a TTB of 3.4 years (95% CI 2.2-5.1) for preventing one lung cancer death.<br />- Screening 500 individuals results in a TTB of 5.2 years (95% CI 3.7-7.3) per prevented death.<br /><br />This analysis underscores that lung cancer screening with LDCT is most beneficial for older adults with a life expectancy of at least 3.4 years, allowing them to effectively benefit from the screening without incurring short-term risks. The research was supported by grants from the National Institute on Aging and other institutions emphasizing elderly care and late-life disability.

Asset Subtitle

Eliana Kim

Meta Tag

Speaker Eliana Kim

Topic Screening & Early Detection

Keywords

lung cancer screening

low-dose computed tomography

time to benefit

mortality prevention

systematic review

meta-analysis

randomized controlled trials

elderly care

life expectancy

National Institute on Aging