2026 IASLC CT Screening and Early Detection Symposium-WS02.12 - Talk 2: The BIG 3: Lung Cancer, COPD, and Cardiovascular Disease

Pdf Summary

This presentation discusses the “BIG-3” additional findings that may be detected during lung cancer screening with low-dose CT: cardiovascular disease, emphysema/COPD, and other clinically relevant comorbidities. It contrasts diagnostic imaging, which focuses on an individual patient, with screening, which targets population health and aims to reduce disease burden across groups.  <br /><br />The speaker emphasizes that screening has both benefits and harms, and that decisions about reporting additional findings must consider ethical, legal, economic, workforce, and healthcare-system factors. There is no “one-size-fits-all” approach; implementation will vary by country and context.  <br /><br />For cardiovascular disease, the talk highlights coronary artery calcification (CAC) as an important marker seen on ungated low-dose CT scans in a high-risk population of older smokers. CAC can provide prognostic information about future cardiovascular events and death, and both visual assessment and software-based quantification have shown value.  <br /><br />For emphysema/COPD, the presentation notes that it is a major cause of death and costs, is linked to increased lung cancer risk, and is often underdiagnosed. Low-dose CT can help detect emphysema, airway wall thickening, and air trapping, especially when automated quantification tools are used.  <br /><br />Potential benefits of identifying these findings include earlier diagnosis, opportunities for smoking cessation and lifestyle counseling, improved quality of life, reduced healthcare use, and lower societal costs. In the future, AI-based risk prediction models may help personalize follow-up and management.  <br /><br />The presentation concludes by asking whether additional findings should be reported and stresses the need for scientific evidence, management guidelines, education, communication, and practical implementation without “analysis paralysis.”

Asset Subtitle

Annemiek Snoeckx

Meta Tag

Concept Screening

Concept Incidental Finding

Concept Chest Screening

Concept Diagnostic Imaging

Concept Cardiovascular Disease

Speaker Annemiek Snoeckx

Keywords

lung cancer screening

low-dose CT

cardiovascular disease

coronary artery calcification

emphysema

COPD

additional findings

risk prediction

smoking cessation

AI-based quantification

Screening

Incidental Finding

Chest Screening

Diagnostic Imaging

Cardiovascular Disease

Annemiek Snoeckx