Assessment and Efficacy of Low-Dose CT Screening and Primary Care Providers Perspective on Lung Cancer Screening: An Institutional Review.

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Manan Shah, Morehouse School of Medicine; Phani K. Surapaneni, Morehouse School of Medicine; Kirat Sandhu, Morehouse School of Medicine; Saba Shafi, Yale University; Temidayo Abe, Morehouse School of Medicine; Sanjay Jain, Morehouse School of Medicine; Gabriela Oprea, Emory University; Judith Volcy, Morehouse School of Medicine
• Language: English
• Date: 2021-03-09
• Publisher: Springer Nature
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2021 Shah et al.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.7759/cureus.13778
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Cureus
• Volume: 13
• Issue: 3
• Start Page: e13778
• End Page: e13778
• Grant/Funding Information: None declared
• Keywords: cancer; oncology; Lung cancer; screening; Primary care; prevention
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Medicine and Surgery; Health Sciences, Oncology; Health Sciences, Health Care Management

Abstract

Lung cancer is the most common cause of death in both men and women. The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends annual lung screening with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) chest for individuals aged 55-80 who have a 30 pack-year smoking history and currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years. We reviewed the electronic medical records of patients visiting our outpatient clinic over a period of one year. We included all eligible individuals according to USPSTF guidelines for LDCT to identify screening rates at our institution. All primary care physicians, including residents and attendings, were given a prepared questionnaire to understand their beliefs and concerns with the implementation of this program. A total of 13,500 patients visited the outpatient clinic and 1178 were eligible for LDCT. Forty-five percent (45%) of patients received LDCT screening, which was higher than the national average of 2%-5%. A total of 50 primary care providers were included in the survey. The majority of the providers were aware of the USPSTF guidelines and believed that patients with multiple comorbidities and insurance issues were barriers in initiating LDCT screening. Lung cancer screening is an important component in cancer preventive strategies. Widespread awareness among the primary care providers and the public is extremely necessary for improving the use of LDCT.