(Press-News.org) (Denver, Colo.—August 5, 2024) – Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Detecting this disease in its early stages significantly improves survival rates, making low-dose CT screening an essential component in the fight against lung cancer. Recent studies, particularly from Asia, have sparked a debate on whether these screening benefits extend to non-smokers and those with minimal smoking histories.
However, according to an article published in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, there is currently insufficient evidence to support lung cancer screening for those who never smoked with or without a family history of lung cancer. JTO is the official journal of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer.
The article “Screening Low-Risk Individuals for Lung Cancer: The Need May Be Present, but the Evidence of Benefit Is Not,” is written by a group of lung cancer researchers and public health professionals led by Gerard A. Silvestri, MD, MS, the Hillenbrand Professor of Thoracic Oncology at the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, S.C.
Silvestri and his colleagues note that The Early Detection Program for Lung Cancer in Taiwan revealed that the cancer detection rate for those screened with low-radiation dose computed tomography was more than twofold higher in light- or never-smokers with a family history of lung cancer compared with high-risk persons with more than 30 pack-years exposure and meeting U.S. Preventative Services Task Force criteria. In addition, more than 90% of the cancers detected in those with a family history were in early stage. On the basis of those findings, the Taiwan researchers concluded that screening first-degree relatives of those with a family history of lung cancer, irrespective of smoking history, would lead to a decrease in lung cancer mortality.
However, Silvestri writes: “...the findings in this cohort and others like it represent substantial over-diagnosis and that the harms associated with screening a population that has a low likelihood of developing lethal cancers have not been thoroughly considered.”
According to the article, over-diagnosis can lead to unnecessary treatments and procedures, posing risks to individuals who might never have developed life-threatening cancer. False positives are also a significant concern, resulting in anxiety, additional tests, and invasive procedures.
“Ultimately, we believe that there is a need to more discriminately identify those low-risk individuals who may develop a lethal lung cancer as opposed to an indolent one. What cannot currently be advocated for is screening a population where the risk of harm to the many could outweigh the risk of benefit to the few,” according to the article.
"We need to carefully weigh the potential benefits against the risks of harm in these populations," Dr. Silvestri stated. "Extending screening without robust evidence could lead to more harm than good."
Given these complexities, the article's authors advocate for more rigorous research, including randomized controlled trials, which have never been performed in those who have never smoked with or without a family history of lung cancer, to better understand the benefits and harms of screening in this group. Furthermore, no randomized trials for this population have ever been undertaken in Asia where it appears that the biology of lung cancer is different than that observed in western societies.
About the IASLC
The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) is the only global organization dedicated solely to the study of lung cancer and other thoracic malignancies. Founded in 1974, the association's membership includes more than 11,000 lung cancer specialists across all disciplines in over 100 countries, forming a global network working together to conquer lung and thoracic cancers worldwide. The association publishes the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, the primary educational and informational publication for topics relevant to the prevention, detection, diagnosis and treatment of all thoracic malignancies. Visit www.iaslc.org for more information.
About the JTO
Journal of Thoracic Oncology (JTO), the official journal of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, is the primary educational and informational publication for topics relevant to the prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment of all thoracic malignancies. JTO emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach and includes original research reviews and opinion pieces. The audience includes epidemiologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, thoracic surgeons, pulmonologists, radiologists, pathologists, nuclear medicine physicians, and research scientists with a special interest in thoracic oncology.
END
Insufficient evidence to recommend low-dose CT screening in never smokers lung cancer screening: new insights and ongoing debates
2024-08-05
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Early childhood screen use contexts and cognitive and psychosocial outcomes
2024-08-05
About The Study: The findings of this study show small to moderate effect sizes that highlight the need to consider screen use contexts (i.e., type, content, co-use, and purpose of use) when making recommendations for families, clinicians, and educators beyond screen time limits; including encouraging intentional and productive screen use, age-appropriate content, and co-use with caregivers.
Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Sumudu Mallawaarachchi, PhD, email sumudu@uow.edu.au.
To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/
(doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2024.2620)
Editor’s ...
COVID-19 pandemic school disruptions and acute mental health in children and adolescents
2024-08-05
About The Study: In this cross-sectional study of 13,000 pediatric emergency department visits at nine university hospitals in Italy, school opening following a COVID-19 pandemic–related school disruption was associated with an increase in acute psychiatric emergencies. The findings of this study suggest that school may be a major source of stress for youths; factors mediating school-associated mental health disturbances in youth should be investigated.
Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Benedetto Vitiello, ...
Estimated exposure to 6 potentially hepatotoxic botanicals in U.S. adults
2024-08-05
About The Study: In this survey study, an estimated 15.6 million U.S. adults consumed at least one botanical product with liver liability within the past 30 days, comparable with the number of people who consumed nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and a commonly prescribed hypolipidemic drug. Turmeric was most frequently reported, followed in order by green tea, ashwagandha, Garcinia cambogia, red yeast rice, and black cohosh products. Given a lack of regulatory oversight on the manufacturing and testing of botanical products, clinicians should be aware of possible adverse events from consumption of ...
Expanding student-journalists' access to EurekAlert!
2024-08-05
In an effort to give aspiring journalists hands-on practice in the science news ecosystem and help prepare them for a successful professional career, EurekAlert! is expanding journalist-memberships to applicants working at student news publications, such as campus newspapers and radio stations.
EurekAlert! has historically granted journalist-memberships to full-time journalism students, interns, and fellowship recipients who work at accredited media outlets under the guidance of experienced members. All approved journalist-members receive the same access to embargoed materials.
"As the advisor to MIT's ...
Planting some tree species may worsen, not improve, NYC air, says new study
2024-08-05
In line with longstanding initiatives to expand its green spaces, New York City is planting tens of thousands of trees each year. They provide shade, lower surface temperatures by releasing moisture, absorb a surprising amount of airborne carbon, scrub out soot and other floating pollutants, and provide wildlife habitat along with just plain beauty. What could go wrong?
Actually, something could go wrong, according to a new study. Oaks and sweetgums, which currently account for a majority of the city’s trees, produce huge amounts of volatile compounds called isoprenes. Harmless by themselves, isoprenes interact rapidly with polluting nitrogen oxides emitted by vehicles, ...
Ben-Gurion University scientist uses state-of-the-art microscopy to discover drug candidates for cancer
2024-08-05
BEER-SHEVA, Israel, August 5, 2024 – Microscopy has been making leaps and bounds in recent years. Science that was inconceivable a few years ago has become a matter of programming state-of-the-art microscopes to process reams of data. Dr. Gabriel Frank quickly realized the potential of cryo-electron microscopy to discover the molecular structures at levels heretofore unobservable. When he joined Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, he pushed for the University to enter the field, culminating in the establishment of the Guzik Center for Advanced Microscopy and the purchase of a new more advanced electron microscope. Using this microscope, Dr. ...
Configuration design method of mega constellation for low earth orbit observation
2024-08-05
First, satellites in the mega constellation are categorized and the constellation design based on different satellite division is proposed. Satellites in the mega constellation are divided into 2 types, namely, the basic satellites and the accompanying satellites. All basic satellites that are surrounded by accompanying satellites are evenly distributed globally, and they have the same subsatellite trajectory. A basic satellite and its accompanying satellites are defined as a satellite group. The constellation is composed ...
Sometimes it hurts to think
2024-08-05
If somebody complains that it hurts to think, they may be onto something, as mental exertion appears to be associated with unpleasant feelings in many situations, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.
“Managers often encourage employees, and teachers often encourage students, to exert mental effort. On the surface, this seems to work well: Employees and students do often opt for mentally challenging activities,” said senior author Erik Bijleveld, PhD, of Radboud University. “From this, you may be tempted to conclude that ...
FAU lands $1.3M NSF grant to boost dryland soil quality amid climate stressors
2024-08-05
Drylands, found across every continent, cover about 45% of the Earth's land surface and support 38% of the human population. In these regions, precipitation is low and evaporation rates are typically high, leading to an arid or semi-arid climate. Due to scarce water resources and sparse vegetation, drylands present formidable challenges for agriculture and human habitation. As the climate continues to warm, drylands are rapidly expanding.
A particularly urgent problem in drylands is climate-driven soil degradation, which affects about 33% of the planet’s land surface.
Drylands host ...
Self-powered pump harnesses light and chemistry to target, capture pollutants
2024-08-05
Dartmouth researchers have developed a self-powered pump that uses natural light and chemistry to target and remove specific water pollutants, according to a new report in the journal Science.
As water enters the pump, a wavelength of light activates a synthetic molecular receptor designed to bond to negatively charged ions, or anions, a class of pollutants linked to metabolic disruptions in plants and animals. A second wavelength deactivates the receptors as water exits the pump and causes them to release the ...