For a study, the researchers sought to find if the introduction of low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) lung cancer screening in the United States resulted in changes in the number of individuals diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer over time. The fraction of lung cancers identified as stage I to III and stage IV from 2009 to 2018 was determined using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result (SEER) database. The changes in lung cancer stage distribution in the general population and by race were compared. The % of people with stage I to III lung cancer increased from 52% (51.3% -53.2%) in 2009 to 56% (54.0% -55.8%) in 2018 (P<.001). As a result, the proportion of lung cancers identified in stage IV dropped from 48% (46.8% -48.7%) in 2009 to 45% (44.2% -46.0%) in 2018 (P<.001). The proportion of white patients increased from 53% (51.6% -53.7%) to 56% (55.1% -57.1%) (P<.001). However, there was no trend in the proportion of black patients, with 51% (47.9% -53.4%) in 2009 and 52% (49.0% -54.2%) in 2018 (P=.303). The prevalence of early-stage lung cancer had grown in the general population after the advent of LDCT screening. In black patients, these alterations in stage distribution were not determined.
Link:www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1525730421002874
