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. 2022 Jan 31;22(1):48.
doi: 10.1186/s12890-022-01826-1.

The additional value of lung cancer screening program in identifying unrecognized diseases

Panaiotis Finamore  1 , Luigi Tanese  2 , Filippo Longo  3 , Domenico De Stefano  2 , Claudio Pedone  1 , Laura Angelici  4 , Nera Agabiti  4 , Silvia Cascini  4 , Marina Davoli  4 , Bruno Beomonte Zobel  2 , Raffaele Antonelli Incalzi  1 , Pierfilippo Crucitti  5
Affiliations

The additional value of lung cancer screening program in identifying unrecognized diseases

Panaiotis Finamore et al. BMC Pulm Med. .

Abstract

Background: A systematic examination of low-dose CT (LDCT) scan, beside lung nodules, may disclose the presence of undiagnosed diseases, improving the efficacy and the cost/efficacy of these programs. The study was aimed at evaluating the association between LDCT scan findings and non-oncologic and oncologic diseases.

Methods: The LDCT scan of participants to the "Un Respiro per la vita"® lung cancer screening program were checked and abnormal findings, beside lung nodules, recorded. First admission to the acute care because of cardiovascular (CD), respiratory (RD) and oncological diseases (OD) in the following three years were retrieved. The association of LDCT scan abnormal findings with CD, RD and OD was assessed through univariable and multivariable logistic regression models.

Results: Mean age of 746 participants was 62 years (SD:5), 62% were male. 11 (1.5%) received a diagnosis of lung cancer. 16.1% participants were admitted to the acute care in the following three years: 8.6% for CD, 4.3% for RD and 5.2% for OD. Valve calcification (OR 2.02, p:0.02) and mucus plugs (OR 3.37, p:0.04) were positively associated with CD, while sub-pleural fibrosis had a protective role (OR 0.47, p:0.01). Lung nodules > 8 mm (OR 5.54, p: < 0.01), tracheal deviation (OR 6.04, p:0.01) and mucus plugs (OR 4.00, p:0.04) were positively associated with OD admissions. Centrilobular emphysema OR for RD admissions was 1.97 (p:0.06).

Conclusions: The observed association between selected LDCT findings and ensuing CD, RD and OD suggests that the information potential of LCDT goes beyond the screening of lung cancer.

Keywords: Cardiovascular disease; Computed tomography; Lung cancer; Respiratory disorders; Screening.

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Conflict of interest statement

Authors have no financial and non-financial competing interests to declare.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flow chart of the enrollment
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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