Incidental findings in low dose CT lung cancer screening of high-risk smokers: Results from the Manchester lung Health Check pilot

P Bradley; B M Bola; H Balata; A Sharman; R Booton; P A J Crosbie

doi:10.1016/j.lungcan.2022.08.017

Incidental findings in low dose CT lung cancer screening of high-risk smokers: Results from the Manchester lung Health Check pilot

Lung Cancer. 2022 Nov:173:1-4. doi: 10.1016/j.lungcan.2022.08.017. Epub 2022 Sep 2.

Authors

P Bradley¹, B M Bola², H Balata³, A Sharman⁴, R Booton³, P A J Crosbie³

Affiliations

¹ Manchester Thoracic Oncology Centre, North West Lung Centre, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Southmoor Road, Wythenshawe, UK; Division of Infection, Immunity to Infection and Respiratory Medicine, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK. Electronic address: patrickbradley@nhs.net.
² Manchester Thoracic Oncology Centre, North West Lung Centre, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Southmoor Road, Wythenshawe, UK.
³ Manchester Thoracic Oncology Centre, North West Lung Centre, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Southmoor Road, Wythenshawe, UK; Division of Infection, Immunity to Infection and Respiratory Medicine, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
⁴ Department of Radiology, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Southmoor Road, Wythenshawe, UK.

PMID: 36099795
DOI: 10.1016/j.lungcan.2022.08.017

Abstract

Here we report the prevalence of incidental findings (IF) in the Manchester Lung Health Check pilot, which delivered mobile low-dose CT targeted lung cancer screening. 187 IFs were reported in 158 participants (11.2 % of individuals screened; n = 1,409). 101 IFs in 90 participants (6.4 %) were concerning for extra-pulmonary malignancy. IFs resulted in 118 imaging studies, 20 invasive investigations, and 106 new diagnoses, including 5 malignancies (0.35 %). Clinical management of IFs required 84 specialist reviews (6.0 %), 34 medication changes (2.4 %) and 10 interventional treatments (0.71 %). Lung cancer screening detects clinically relevant IFs but further research is needed to better understand the potential benefits and harms of such findings to participants.

Keywords: Computed tomography; Incidental findings; Lung cancer screening; Screening harms.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Early Detection of Cancer* / methods
Humans
Incidental Findings
Lung
Lung Neoplasms* / diagnostic imaging
Lung Neoplasms* / epidemiology
Mass Screening / methods
Smokers
Tomography, X-Ray Computed / methods