The USPSTF Weighs In on CT Screening for Lung Cancer

In late July, 2013, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) issued a “draft recommendation statement” on screening for lung cancer. The statement is open for public comment until August 26, 2013, after which, the USPSTF will issue a formal final recommendation.

For the first time, the Task Force is recommending lung cancer screening, largely because of the 2011 publication of results from the large, randomized National Lung Screening Trial (NLST; NEJM JW Gen Med Jul 14 2011), which is the only trial to show that CT screening lowers lung cancer mortality. The recommendation is for annual screening with low-dose computed tomography (CT) in healthy older people (age range, 55–79) with smoking history of at least 30 pack-years; former s…