Estimating overdiagnosis in low-dose computed tomography screening for lung cancer : a cohort study
Articolo
Data di Pubblicazione:
2012
Citazione:
Estimating overdiagnosis in low-dose computed tomography screening for lung cancer : a cohort study / G. Veronesi, P. Maisonneuve, M. Bellomi, C. Rampinelli, I. Durli, R. Bertolotti, L. Spaggiari. - In: ANNALS OF INTERNAL MEDICINE. - ISSN 0003-4819. - 157:11(2012 Dec 04), pp. 776-784.
Abstract:
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Lung cancer screening may detect cancer that will never become symptomatic (overdiagnosis), leading to overtreatment. Changes in size on sequential low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening, expressed as volume-doubling time (VDT), may help to distinguish aggressive cancer from cases that are unlikely to become symptomatic.
OBJECTIVE: To assess VDT for screening-detected lung cancer as an indicator of overdiagnosis.
DESIGN: Retrospective estimation of the VDT of cancer detected in a prospective LDCT screening cohort.
SETTING: Nonrandomized, single-center screening study involving persons at high risk for lung cancer enrolled between 2004 and 2005 who received LDCT annually for 5 years.
PATIENTS: 175 study patients diagnosed with primary lung cancer.
MEASUREMENTS: VDT was measured on LDCT and classified as fast-growing (<400 days), slow-growing (between 400 and 599 days), or indolent (≥600 days).
RESULTS: Fifty-five cases of cancer were diagnosed at baseline, and 120 were diagnosed subsequently. Of the latter group, 19 cases (15.8%) were new (not visible on previous scans) and fast-growing (median VDT, 52 days); 101 (84.2%) were progressive, including 70 (58.3%) fast-growing and 31 (25.8%) slow-growing (15.0%) or indolent (10.8%) cases. Lung cancer-specific mortality was significantly higher (9.2% per year) in patients with new compared with slow-growing or indolent (0.9% per year) cancer. Sixty percent of fast-growing progressive cancer and 45% of new cancer were stage I, for which survival was good.
LIMITATIONS: This is a retrospective study. Volume-doubling time can only indicate overdiagnosis and was estimated for new cancer from 1 measurement (a diameter of 2 mm assumed the previous year).
CONCLUSION: Slow-growing or indolent cancer comprised approximately 25% of incident cases, many of which may have been overdiagnosed. To limit overtreatment in these cases, minimally invasive limited resection and nonsurgical treatments should be investigated.
Tipologia IRIS:
01 - Articolo su periodico
Elenco autori:
G. Veronesi, P. Maisonneuve, M. Bellomi, C. Rampinelli, I. Durli, R. Bertolotti, L. Spaggiari
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