Lung Cancer Imaging: Screening Result and Nodule Management

Abstract

Background: Lung cancer (LC) represents the main cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, especially because the majority of patients present with an advanced stage of the disease at the time of diagnosis. This systematic review describes the evidence behind screening results and the current guidelines available to manage lung nodules. Methods: This review was guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The following electronic databases were searched: PubMed, EMBASE, and the Web of Science. Results: Five studies were included in the systematic review. The study cohort included 46,364 patients, and, in this case series, LC was detected in 9028 patients. Among the patients with detected LC, 1261 died of lung cancer, 3153 died of other types of cancers and 4614 died of other causes. Conclusions: This systematic review validates the use of CT in LC screening follow-ups, and bids for future integration and implementation of nodule management protocols to improve LC screening, avoid missed cancers and to reduce the number of unnecessary investigations.