Current estimate of costs of lung cancer screening in the United States

Abstract

The United States Preventive Services Task Force recently endorsed the use of low-dose computed tomography for lung cancer screening in high-risk patients because of the potential to reduce deaths. Before implementation on a national level, it will be important to ensure that a safe, high-quality, and accessible service can be adequately provided. It will also be important to make sure that screening is cost-effective. This article summarizes the published analyses of lung cancer screening cost, provides a contemporary estimation of the annual cost of screening in the United States, and identifies areas for improvement in the future.

Keywords: Budget impact model; Cost-effectiveness; Early Lung Cancer Action Project (ELCAP); Low-dose computed tomography (LDCT); Lung cancer screening; National Lung Screening Trial (NLST).