WCLC: Smoking Cessation Reduces Mortality in Low-Dose Computed Tomography Screening Volunteers
Smoking cessation among patients enrolled in a low-dose computed tomography screening program is associated with a three- to five-time reduction in mortality, according to research (Abstract PLEN04.07) presented at the 16th World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) in Denver, Colorado. The Conference was hosted by the International Association of the Study of Lung Cancer.
Study Findings
Ugo Pastorino, MD, Director of Thoracic Surgery at the Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, in Milan, Italy, analyzed 3,318 heavy smokers enrolled in low-dose computed tomography screening efforts. Subjects were divided into two groups: current smokers and former smokers, the latter including ex-smokers at the time of baseline screening and those who stopped smoking during the screening period.
Dr. Pastorino developed this study because, while screening programs like the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) have achieved a 7% reduction in mortality from any cause with low-dose computed tomography screening, no study previously examined the impact of smoking habits on screening outcome.
After following up with enrolled patients, Dr. Pastorino’s team noted 151 deaths among the smoking group and 109 deaths among those who had stopped smoking. Compared with the group of current smokers, those who stopped smoking had a 23% reduction in mortality.
“Stopping smoking is associated with a significant reduction of the overall mortality of heavy smokers enrolled in low-dose computed tomography screening programs,” Dr. Pastorino reported. “The benefit of stopping smoking appears to be three- to five-fold greater than the one achieved by earlier detection in the NLST trial.”
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