The global burden of lung cancer: current status and future trends.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. However, lung cancer incidence and mortality rates differ substantially across the world, reflecting varying patterns of tobacco smoking, exposure to environmental risk factors and genetics. Tobacco smoking is the leading risk factor for lung cancer. Lung cancer incidence largely reflects trends in smoking patterns, which generally vary by sex and economic development. For this reason, tobacco control campaigns are a central part of global strategies designed to reduce lung cancer mortality. Environmental and occupational lung cancer risk factors, such as unprocessed biomass fuels, asbestos, arsenic and radon, can also contribute to lung cancer incidence in certain parts of the world. Over the past decade, large-cohort clinical studies have established that low-dose CT screening reduces lung cancer mortality, largely owing to increased diagnosis and treatment at earlier disease stages. These data have led to recommendations that individuals with a high risk of lung cancer undergo screening in several economically developed countries and increased implementation of screening worldwide. In this Review, we provide an overview of the global epidemiology of lung cancer. Lung cancer risk factors and global risk reduction efforts are also discussed. Finally, we summarize lung cancer screening policies and their implementation worldwide.

Race and Ethnicity in Pulmonary Function Test Interpretation: An Official American Thoracic Society Statement.

Current American Thoracic Society (ATS) standards promote the use of race and ethnicity-specific reference equations for pulmonary function test (PFT) interpretation. There is rising concern that the use of race and ethnicity in PFT interpretation contributes to a false view of fixed differences between races and may mask the effects of differential exposures. This use of race and ethnicity may contribute to health disparities by norming differences in pulmonary function. In the United States and globally, race serves as a social construct that is based on appearance and reflects social values, structures, and practices. Classification of people into racial and ethnic groups differs geographically and temporally. These considerations challenge the notion that racial and ethnic categories have biological meaning and question the use of race in PFT interpretation. The ATS convened a diverse group of clinicians and investigators for a workshop in 2021 to evaluate the use of race and ethnicity in PFT interpretation. Review of evidence published since then that challenges current practice and continued discussion concluded with a recommendation to replace race and ethnicity-specific equations with race-neutral average reference equations, which must be accompanied with a broader re-evaluation of how PFTs are used to make clinical, employment, and insurance decisions. There was also a call to engage key stakeholders not represented in this workshop and a statement of caution regarding the uncertain effects and potential harms of this change. Other recommendations include continued research and education to understand the impact of the change, to improve the evidence for the use of PFTs in general, and to identify modifiable risk factors for reduced pulmonary function.

Outcomes Following SBRT vs. IMRT and 3DCRT for Older Patients with Stage IIA Node-Negative Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer > 5 cm.

BACKGROUND: To describe outcomes and compare the effectiveness of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) versus 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) or intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) in patients with stage IIA lymph node-negative (N0) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumors > 5 cm. METHODS: We used the SEER-Medicare database (2005-2015) to identify patients > 65 years with stage IIA (AJCC TNM7) N0 NSCLC > 5 cm tumors who were treated with SBRT, IMRT, and 3DCRT. We used propensity score methods with inverse probability weighting to compare lung cancer-specific survival (LCSS), overall survival (OS), and toxicity. RESULTS: Of 584 patients, 88 (15%), 140 (24%), and 356 (61%) underwent SBRT, IMRT, and 3DCRT, respectively. The SBRT group was older (P = .004), had more comorbidities (P = .02), smaller tumors (P = .03), and more adenocarcinomas (P < .0001). We found a trend towards higher median unadjusted OS with SBRT compared to IMRT and 3DCRT (19 vs. 13 and 14 months, respectively, P = .37). In our propensity score-adjusted analyses, SBRT was significantly associated with better OS and LCSS compared to IMRT (HROS: 0.78, 95% CI: 0.68-0.89, HRLCSS: 0.70, 95% CI: 0.60-0.81) and 3DCRT (HROS: 0.81, 95% CI: 0.72-0.93, HRLCSS: 0.80, 95% CI: 0.68-0.93). SBRT-treated patients also had lower overall adjusted complication rates compared to IMRT (OR: 0.74, 95% CI: 0.55-0.99) and 3DCRT (OR: 0.53, 95% CI: 0.40-0.71). CONCLUSION: For patients with NSCLC tumors > 5 cm, SBRT trends towards fewer toxicities and improved survival compared to other forms of radiotherapy. Our findings support SBRT as an appropriate treatment strategy for older patients with larger inoperable NSCLC tumors.

Socioeconomic status associates with worse asthma morbidity among Black and Latinx adults.

BACKGROUND: Asthma disproportionately affects African American/Black (AA/B) and Hispanic/Latinx (H/L) patients and individuals with low socioeconomic status (SES), but the relationship between SES and asthma morbidity within these racial/ethnic groups is inadequately understood. OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between SES and asthma morbidity among AA/B and H/L adults with moderate to severe asthma using multidomain SES frameworks and mediation analyses. METHODS: We analyzed enrollment data from the PeRson EmPowered Asthma RElief randomized trial, evaluating inhaled corticosteroid supplementation to rescue therapy. We tested for direct and indirect relationships between SES and asthma morbidity using structural equation models. For SES, we used a latent variable defined by poverty, education, and unemployment. For asthma morbidity, we used self-reported asthma exacerbations in the year before enrollment (corticosteroid bursts, emergency room/urgent care visits, or hospitalizations), and Asthma Control Test scores. We tested for mediation via health literacy, perceived stress, and self-reported discrimination. All models adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, ethnicity, and comorbidities. RESULTS: Among 990 AA/B and H/L adults, low SES (latent variable) was directly associated with hospitalizations (ß = 0.24) and worse Asthma Control Test scores (ß = 0.20). Stress partially mediated the relationship between SES and increased emergency room/urgent care visits and worse asthma control (ß = 0.03 and = 0.05, respectively). Individual SES domains were directly associated with asthma morbidity. Stress mediated indirect associations between low educational attainment and unemployment with worse asthma control (ß = 0.05 and = 0.06, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Lower SES is directly, and indirectly through stress, associated with asthma morbidity among AA/B and H/L adults. Identification of stressors and relevant management strategies may lessen asthma-related morbidity among these populations.

Enhancing Recruitment and Retention of Minority Populations for Clinical Research in Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine: An Official American Thoracic Society Research Statement.

Background: Well-designed clinical research needs to obtain information that is applicable to the general population. However, most current studies fail to include substantial cohorts of racial/ethnic minority populations. Such underrepresentation may lead to delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis of disease, wide application of approved interventions without appropriate knowledge of their usefulness in certain populations, and development of recommendations that are not broadly applicable.Goals: To develop best practices for recruitment and retention of racial/ethnic minorities for clinical research in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine.Methods: The American Thoracic Society convened a workshop in May of 2019. This included an international interprofessional group from academia, industry, the NIH, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, with expertise ranging from clinical and biomedical research to community-based participatory research methods and patient advocacy. Workshop participants addressed historical and current mistrust of scientific research, systemic bias, and social and structural barriers to minority participation in clinical research. A literature search of PubMed and Google Scholar was performed to support conclusions. The search was not a systematic review of the literature.Results: Barriers at the individual, interpersonal, institutional, and federal/policy levels were identified as limiting to minority participation in clinical research. Through the use of a multilevel framework, workshop participants proposed evidence-based solutions to the identified barriers.Conclusions: To date, minority participation in clinical research is not representative of the U.S. and global populations. This American Thoracic Society research statement identifies potential evidence-based solutions by applying a multilevel framework that is anchored in community engagement methods and patient advocacy.

Association between somatostatin analogues and diabetes mellitus in gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumor patients: A Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare analysis of 5235 patients.

BACKGROUND: Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs) are increasingly common malignancies and tend to have favorable long-term prognoses. Somatostatin analogues (SSA) are a first-line treatment for many NETs. Short-term experiments suggest an association between SSAs and hyperglycemia. However, it is unknown whether there is a relationship between SSAs and clinically significant hyperglycemia causing development of diabetes mellitus (DM), a chronic condition with significant morbidity and mortality. AIM: In this study, we aimed to compare risk of developing DM in patients treated with SSA vs no SSA treatment. METHODS AND RESULTS: Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database and linked Medicare claims (1991-2016), we identified patients age 65+ with no prior DM diagnosis and a GEP-NET in the stomach, small intestine, appendix, colon, rectum, or pancreas. We used χ2 tests to compare SSA-treated and SSA-untreated patients and multivariable Cox regression to assess risk factors for developing DM. Among 8464 GEP-NET patients, 5235 patients had no prior DM and were included for analysis. Of these, 784 (15%) patients received SSAs. In multivariable analysis, the hazard ratio of developing DM with SSA treatment was 1.19, which was not statistically significant (95% CI 0.95-1.49). Significant risk factors for DM included black race, Hispanic ethnicity, prior pancreatic surgery, prior chemotherapy, tumor size >2 cm, pancreas tumors, and higher Charlson scores. CONCLUSION: DM was very common in GEP-NET patients, affecting 53% of our cohort. Despite prior studies suggesting an association between SSAs and hyperglycemia, our analysis found similar risk of DM in SSA-treated and SSA-untreated GEP-NET patients. Further studies are needed to better understand this relationship. As NET patients have increasingly prolonged survival, it is crucial to identify chronic conditions such as DM that these patients may be at elevated risk for.

Addressing Disparities in Lung Cancer Screening Eligibility and Healthcare Access. An Official American Thoracic Society Statement.

Background: There are well-documented disparities in lung cancer outcomes across populations. Lung cancer screening (LCS) has the potential to reduce lung cancer mortality, but for this benefit to be realized by all high-risk groups, there must be careful attention to ensuring equitable access to this lifesaving preventive health measure.Objectives: To outline current knowledge on disparities in eligibility criteria for, access to, and implementation of LCS, and to develop an official American Thoracic Society statement to propose strategies to optimize current screening guidelines and resource allocation for equitable LCS implementation and dissemination.Methods: A multidisciplinary panel with expertise in LCS, implementation science, primary care, pulmonology, health behavior, smoking cessation, epidemiology, and disparities research was convened. Participants reviewed available literature on historical disparities in cancer screening and emerging evidence of disparities in LCS.Results: Existing LCS guidelines do not consider racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and sex-based differences in smoking behaviors or lung cancer risk. Multiple barriers, including access to screening and cost, further contribute to the inequities in implementation and dissemination of LCS.Conclusions: This statement identifies the impact of LCS eligibility criteria on vulnerable populations who are at increased risk of lung cancer but do not meet eligibility criteria for screening, as well as multiple barriers that contribute to disparities in LCS implementation. Strategies to improve the selection and dissemination of LCS in vulnerable groups are described.

Racial/ethnic concordance between patients and researchers as a predictor of study attrition.

RATIONALE: The differential attrition of racial/ethnic minority participants in clinical research is a major threat to advancing medical and behavioral science. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to examine the influence of racial/ethnic concordance between participants and research staff on study attrition. METHOD: Data were pooled from participants and clinical research coordinators (CRCs) in six longitudinal studies of respiratory illness. Dyads were classified as concordant if the patient and CRC were of the same racial/ethnic group. Multilevel modeling examined the effect of racial/ethnic concordance on attrition at the first and one-year follow-ups. RESULTS: Spanish language, lower education, and greater depressive symptoms predicted greater attrition, but these effects disappeared in adjusted models. Race/ethnicity, age, gender and health literacy did not predict attrition. Contrary to hypotheses, attrition was greater among concordant than discordant dyads: Attrition was almost five times greater at first follow-up for Black and Hispanic participants in concordant dyads, and almost four times greater at one year. CONCLUSIONS: Racial/ethnic concordance between participant and CRCs was related to greater attrition in a highly diverse sample of adults with respiratory illness. Differential attrition of racial/ethnic minorities is a major threat to advancing public health. Interactions with research staff may be critical to bridging the disparities gap.

Racial Disparities in Resection of Early Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Variability Among Surgeons.

BACKGROUND: Racial disparities in resection of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are well documented. Patient-level and system-level factors only partially explain these findings. Although physician-related factors have been suggested as mediators, empirical evidence for their contribution is limited. OBJECTIVE: To determine if racial disparities in receipt of thoracic surgery persisted after patients had a surgical consultation and whether there was a physician contribution to disparities in care. METHODS: The authors identified 19,624 patients with stage I-II NSCLC above 65 years of age from the Surveillance-Epidemiology and End-Results-Medicare database. They studied black and white patients evaluated by a surgeon within 6 months of diagnosis. They assessed for racial differences in resection rates among surgeons using hierarchical linear modeling. Our main outcome was receipt of NSCLC resection. A random intercept was included to test for variability in resection rates across surgeons. Interaction between patient race and the random surgeon intercept was used to evaluate for heterogeneity between surgeons in resection rates for black versus white patients. RESULTS: After surgical consultation, black patients were less likely to undergo resection (adjusted odds ratio, 0.57; 95% confidence interval, 0.47-0.69). Resection rates varied significantly between surgeons (P<0.001). A significant interaction between the surgeon intercept and race (P<0.05) showed variability beyond chance across surgeons in resection rates of black versus white patients. When the model included thoracic surgery specifalization the physician contribution to disparities in care was decreased. CONCLUSIONS: Racial disparities in resection of NSCLC exist even among patients who had access to a surgeon. Heterogeneity between surgeons in resection rates between black and white patients suggests a physician's contribution to observed racial disparities. Specialization in thoracic surgery attenuated this contribution.

Comparative Effectiveness of Robotic-Assisted Surgery for Resectable Lung Cancer in Older Patients.

BACKGROUND: Robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) is a novel surgical approach increasingly used for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, data comparing the effectiveness and costs of RAS vs open thoracotomy and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for NSCLC are limited. METHODS: Patients > 65 years old with stage I to IIIA NSCLC treated with RAS, VATS, or open thoracotomy were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare database and matched according to age, sex, stage, and extent of resection. Propensity score methods were used to compare adjusted rates of postoperative complications, adequate lymph node staging, survival, and treatment-related costs. RESULTS: In this matched study cohort of 2,766 patients with resected NSCLC, RAS was associated with lower complication rates (OR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.42-0.79) compared with open thoracotomy, and similar complication rates (OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.76-1.37) compared with VATS. Patients undergoing RAS were as likely to have adequate lymph node sampling as those undergoing open thoracotomy (OR, 1.28; 95% CI, 0.94-1.74) or VATS (OR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.66-1.18). There was no significant difference in overall survival after RAS vs open thoracotomy (hazard ratio, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.63-1.04) or VATS (hazard ratio, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.70-1.18). Costs were similar for RAS ($54,702) vs open thoracotomy ($57,104; P = .08), and higher compared with VATS ($48,729; P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: RAS led to improved operative outcomes compared with open thoracotomy but may not offer an advantage over VATS. The comparative effectiveness of RAS should be further evaluated prior to widespread adoption.

Bisphosphonate use and incident cardiovascular events among older breast cancer survivors.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of mortality in early-stage breast cancer survivors. Recent studies suggest that bisphosphonates may decrease CVD risk in older patients. OBJECTIVE: This study sought to assess whether bisphosphonate use is associated with lower rates of incident CVD events among early-stage breast cancer survivors. METHODS: Longitudinal, population-based cohort study was conducted by using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results registry linked to Medicare claims. We identified women >65 years with no history of CVD who were diagnosed with stage 0-III primary breast cancer between 2007 and 2010. Our primary outcome was a composite of incident angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, atrial fibrillation/flutter, heart failure, or stroke within 36 months of cancer diagnosis. Bisphosphonate use was defined as the presence of ≥1 pharmacy claim from 6 months prior to cancer diagnosis to the incident CVD event. We used propensity scores to create a matched group of breast cancer survivors without bisphosphonate exposure to compare rates of incident CVD events. RESULTS: A total of 2178 breast cancer survivors had ≥1 bisphosphonate prescription; the average length of bisphosphonate use was 15 months. Analyses of the matched data showed that 13.0% of bisphosphonate users and 23.4% of non-bisphosphonate users experienced an incident CVD event (p < 0.0001) after breast cancer diagnosis. Bisphosphonate use was significantly associated with fewer incident CVD events (hazard ratio: 0.51, 95% confidence interval: 0.44 to 0.59). CONCLUSIONS: Bisphosphonate use is associated with lower incidence of CVD events among older early-stage breast cancer survivors. Future studies should prospectively evaluate whether bisphosphonate use can decrease CVD incidence.

Outcomes after Video-assisted Thoracoscopic Lobectomy versus Open Lobectomy for Early-Stage Lung Cancer in Older Adults.

RATIONALE: Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and open lobectomy are both standard of care for the treatment of early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) because of equivalent long-term survival. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate whether the improved perioperative outcomes associated with VATS lobectomy are explained by surgeon characteristics, including case volume and specialty training. METHODS: We analyzed the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare-linked registry to identify stage I-II NSCLC in patients above 65 years of age. We used a propensity score model to adjust for differences in patient characteristics undergoing VATS versus open lobectomy. Perioperative complications, extended length of stay, and perioperative mortality among patients were compared after adjustment for surgeon's volume and specialty using linear mixed models. We compared survival using a Cox model with robust standard errors. RESULTS: We identified 9,508 patients in the registry who underwent lobectomy for early-stage NSCLC. VATS lobectomies were more commonly performed by high-volume surgeons (P < 0.001) and thoracic surgeons (P = 0.01). VATS lobectomy was associated with decreased adjusted odds of cardiovascular complications (odds ratio [OR] = 0.65; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.47-0.90), thromboembolic complications (OR = 0.47; 95% CI = 0.38-0.58), extrapulmonary infections (OR = 0.75; 95% CI = 0.61-0.94), extended length of stay (OR = 0.47; 95% CI = 0.40-0.56), and perioperative mortality (OR = 0.33; 95% CI = 0.23-0.48) even after controlling for differences in surgeon volume and specialty. Long-term survival was equivalent for VATS and open lobectomy (hazard ratio = 0.95; 95% CI = 0.85-1.08) after controlling for patient and tumor characteristics, surgeon volume, and specialization. CONCLUSIONS: VATS lobectomy for NSCLC is associated with better postoperative outcomes, but similar long-term survival, compared with open lobectomy among older adults, even after controlling for surgeon experience.

An American Thoracic Society/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Workshop Report: Addressing Respiratory Health Equality in the United States.

Health disparities related to race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status persist and are commonly encountered by practitioners of pediatric and adult pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine in the United States. To address such disparities and thus progress toward equality in respiratory health, the American Thoracic Society and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute convened a workshop in May of 2015. The workshop participants addressed health disparities by focusing on six topics, each of which concluded with a panel discussion that proposed recommendations for research on racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine. Such recommendations address best practices to advance research on respiratory health disparities (e.g., characterize broad ethnic groups into subgroups known to differ with regard to a disease of interest), risk factors for respiratory health disparities (e.g., study the impact of new tobacco or nicotine products on respiratory diseases in minority populations), addressing equity in access to healthcare and quality of care (e.g., conduct longitudinal studies of the impact of the Affordable Care Act on respiratory and sleep disorders), the impact of personalized medicine on disparities research (e.g., implement large studies of pharmacogenetics in minority populations), improving design and methodology for research studies in respiratory health disparities (e.g., use study designs that reduce participants' burden and foster trust by engaging participants as decision-makers), and achieving equity in the pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine workforce (e.g., develop and maintain robust mentoring programs for junior faculty, including local and external mentors). Addressing these research needs should advance efforts to reduce, and potentially eliminate, respiratory, sleep, and critical care disparities in the United States.

The effect of statins on survival in patients with stage IV lung cancer.

OBJECTIVES: Prior studies have shown an anticancer effect of statins in patients with certain malignancies. However, it is unclear whether statins have a mortality benefit in lung cancer. We compared survival of patients with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) receiving vs. not receiving statins prior to diagnosis. METHODS: Using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results registry linked to Medicare claims, we identified 5118 patients >65 years of age diagnosed with stage IV NSCLC between 2007 and 2009. We used propensity score methods to assess the association of statin use with overall and lung cancer-specific survival while controlling for measured confounders. RESULTS: Overall, 27% of patients were on statins at time of lung cancer diagnosis. Median survival in the statin group was 7 months, compared to 4 months in patients not treated with statins (p<0.001). Propensity score analyses found that statin use was associated with improvement in overall (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.76, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.73-0.79) and lung cancer-specific survival (HR: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.73-0.81), after controlling for baseline patient characteristics, cancer characteristics, staging work-up and chemotherapy use. CONCLUSIONS: Statin use is associated with improved survival among patients with stage IV NSCLC suggesting a potential anticancer effect. Further research should evaluate plausible biological mechanisms as well as test the effect of statins in prospective clinical trials.

Cost of Intensity-modulated Radiation Therapy for Older Patients with Stage III Lung Cancer.

RATIONALE: In the treatment of stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-RT) is the standard method for radiation delivery; however, intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) has been rapidly adopted. These two modalities may lead to similar survival, warranting a closer scrutiny of the costs involved. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to compare radiotherapy-related and total costs of older patients with NSCLC treated with 3D-RT versus IMRT. METHODS: We conducted a population-based study of all Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years or older in a Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results region. Patients were diagnosed with stage III NSCLC diagnosed between 2002 and 2009. Patients received IMRT or 3D-RT in combination with chemotherapy within 4 months of diagnosis. Radiotherapy-related and total adjusted cost and survival of patients receiving 3D-RT versus IMRT were compared using propensity scores methods. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Of the 2,418 patients in study, 314 (13%) received IMRT. Adjusted analyses showed no difference in overall survival (hazard ratio, 0.97; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.85-1.12) in patients treated with 3D-RT versus IMRT. After adjusting for propensity scores, RT-related costs (estimated difference, $6,850; 95% CI, $5,532-$8,168) and total costs (estimated difference, $8,713; 95% CI, $4,376-$13,051) were significantly higher among patients undergoing IMRT. CONCLUSIONS: The rapid adoption of IMRT for the treatment of stage III NSCLC has occurred in the absence of evidence from prospective randomized trials. Our results show that IMRT is associated with similar survival but increased costs, underscoring the need for continued research in IMRT and other new technologies.

An official American Thoracic Society/American College of Chest Physicians policy statement: implementation of low-dose computed tomography lung cancer screening programs in clinical practice.

RATIONALE: Annual low-radiation-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening for lung cancer has been shown to reduce lung cancer mortality among high-risk individuals and is now recommended by multiple organizations. However, LDCT screening is complex, and implementation requires careful planning to ensure benefits outweigh harms. Little guidance has been provided for sites wishing to develop and implement lung cancer screening programs. OBJECTIVES: To promote successful implementation of comprehensive LDCT screening programs that are safe, effective, and sustainable. METHODS: The American Thoracic Society (ATS) and American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) convened a committee with expertise in lung cancer screening, pulmonary nodule evaluation, and implementation science. The committee reviewed the evidence from systematic reviews, clinical practice guidelines, surveys, and the experience of early-adopting LDCT screening programs and summarized potential strategies to implement LDCT screening programs successfully. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We address steps that sites should consider during the main three phases of developing an LDCT screening program: planning, implementation, and maintenance. We present multiple strategies to implement the nine core elements of comprehensive lung cancer screening programs enumerated in a recent ACCP/ATS statement, which will allow sites to select the strategy that best fits with their local context and workflow patterns. Although we do not comment on cost-effectiveness of LDCT screening, we outline the necessary costs associated with starting and sustaining a high-quality LDCT screening program. CONCLUSIONS: Following the strategies delineated in this policy statement may help sites to develop comprehensive LDCT screening programs that are safe and effective.

Inequalities in lung cancer care of elderly patients with schizophrenia: an observational cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: Cancer mortality is higher in individuals with schizophrenia, a finding that may be due, in part, to inequalities in care. We evaluated gaps in lung cancer diagnosis, treatment, and survival among elderly individuals with schizophrenia. METHODS: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database linked to Medicare records was used to identify patients 66 years or older with primary non-small cell lung cancer. Lung cancer stage, diagnostic evaluation, and rates of stage-appropriate treatment were compared among patients with and without schizophrenia using unadjusted and multiple regression analyses. Survival was compared among groups using Kaplan-Meier methods. RESULTS: Of the 96,702 patients with non-small cell lung cancer in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database, 1303 (1.3%) had schizophrenia. In comparison with the general population, patients with schizophrenia were less likely to present with late-stage disease after controlling for age, sex, marital status, race/ethnicity, income, histology, and comorbidities (odds ratio = 0.82, 95% confidence interval = 0.73-0.93) and were less likely to undergo appropriate evaluation (p < .050 for all comparisons). Adjusting for similar factors, patients with schizophrenia were also less likely to receive stage-appropriate treatment (odds ratio = 0.50, 95% confidence interval = 0.43-0.58). Survival was decreased among patients with schizophrenia (mean survival = 22.3 versus 26.3 months, p = .002); however, no differences were observed after controlling for treatment received (p = .40). CONCLUSIONS: Elderly patients with schizophrenia present with earlier stages of lung cancer but are less likely to undergo diagnostic evaluation or to receive stage-appropriate treatment, resulting in poorer outcomes. Efforts to increase treatment rates for elderly patients with schizophrenia may lead to improved survival in this group.