Men Need More Frequent Lung Cancer Screening Than Women
GENEVA, May 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --
Men need more frequent lung cancer screening than women, according to research presented today at the European Lung Cancer Conference (ELCC).
The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends annual screening for lung cancer in adults who have a smoking history.
"Less frequent screening would reduce radiation exposure but previous studies of longer screening intervals produced varied results," said lead author Dr Mi-Young Kim, a radiologist at Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea. "This may have been caused by differences in the clinical and radiological presentation of lung cancer in women and men."
This study investigated sex differences in newly developed lung cancer and calculated the optimal computed tomography (CT) screening intervals for women and men. The study retrospectively included 46,766 patients. Researchers analysed the CT screening intervals and the stage and pathology of lung cancer when it was diagnosed, to see if there were any sex differences.
The average time between lung cancer being diagnosed on CT and the previous CT scan was significantly longer in women (5.6 years) than in men (3.6 years). However, the lung cancer stage at diagnosis was higher in men: 82% of lung cancers diagnosed in women were stage I compared to just 49% in men.
The author concluded: "Our study suggests that the annual follow-up interval for CT is too frequent for women, and scans every 2-3 years might be suitable. By reducing the number of unnecessary CT scans, we can decrease radiation exposure and increase cost effectiveness."
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SOURCE European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO)
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