FRIDAY, April 26, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Among individuals across the spectrum of lung cancer risk, efforts are needed to improve physician-patient discussion about lung cancer screening, according to a study published online April 25 in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
Jinhai Huo, Ph.D., M.D., from the University of Florida in Gainesville, and colleagues created a multiple-year analytic dataset using 2012, 2014, and 2017 data from the National Cancer Institute Health Information National Trends Survey. The correlation between samples’ characteristics and the presence of discussion about lung cancer screening was calculated.
The researchers found that the crude estimated rates of physician-patient discussion decreased from 6.7 percent in 2012 to 4.2 and 4.3 percent in 2014 and 2017, respectively, among 9,443 individuals. The highest rates of discussion were seen among current smokers aged 55 to 74 years in 2012 (26.8 percent) and current smokers aged older than 74 years in 2014 and 2017 (23.5 and 22.1 percent, respectively). In multivariable analysis, the physician-patient discussion about lung cancer screening was not associated with patients’ intent to quit or attempt to quit smoking.
“Improved communication regarding lung cancer screening by primary care providers will help to reduce the economic and social burdens of lung cancer and reduce lung cancer-related mortality, as well as the loss of quality of life among high-risk smokers,” the authors write.
One author disclosed financial ties to eNursing LLC.
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