Lung cancer screening in the gulf: Rationale and recommendations

Sami M Bennji; B Jayakrishnan; Adil H Al-Kindi; Issa Al-Jahdhami; Zamzam Al-Hashami

doi:10.4103/atm.atm_69_22

Lung cancer screening in the gulf: Rationale and recommendations

Ann Thorac Med. 2022 Oct-Dec;17(4):189-192. doi: 10.4103/atm.atm_69_22. Epub 2022 Oct 7.

Authors

Sami M Bennji¹, B Jayakrishnan¹, Adil H Al-Kindi², Issa Al-Jahdhami³, Zamzam Al-Hashami¹

Affiliations

¹ Sultan Qaboos Comprehensive Cancer Care and Research Centre, Muscat, Oman.
² Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman.
³ Department of Medicine, Armed Forces Hospital, Muscat, Oman.

Abstract

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide among both men and women. Although advances in therapy have been made, the 5-year survival rates for lung cancer remain poor, ranging from 10% to 20%. One of the main reasons is late presentation, as only 25% of patients are amenable to cure at the time of presentation. Therefore, the emphasis on lung cancer screening (LCS) is growing with the current evidence that has shown benefits with low-dose computed tomography scan of the chest in high-risk populations. LCS remains a debated topic in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, possibly due to a lack of local experience. In this article, we explore the rationale and give recommendations on the best approach for LCS in GCC.

Keywords: Low-dose computed tomography; Lung cancer; Lung cancer screening.