“This wonderful result joins other landmark studies. The differential effect by gender is extremely important,” said formal discussant of the trial, John K. Field, PhD, FRCP, of the University of Liverpool, UK.
John K. Field, PhD, FRCP
“This study validates the management protocol and analysis of nodule volume and growth rate. There was a 2.3% referral to a respiratory physician for 9.2% of indeterminate nodules. Furthermore, this is the only trial to provide data on the risk of lung cancer in ‘new nodules,’” Dr. Field emphasized.
“The results allow a vision for the future and have an impact on current screening programs,” Dr. Field continued. “We need to reevaluate current screening protocols and reconsider recruitment strategies for males and females. Clinical trials should be integrated into lung cancer screening programs and include protocol-specified personalized postsurgical interventions. This study confirms the call to action to implement lung cancer screening of high-risk people, as previously published in the European position statement on lung cancer screening in The Lancet Oncology.1 We now have conclusive evidence for implementation of lung cancer screening in Europe based on two large screening trials.” ■
DISCLOSURE: Dr. Field is on the speakers bureau of AstraZeneca and the advisory board of Epigenomics, Nucleix Ltd, and AstraZeneca.
REFERENCE
1. Oudkerk M, Devaraj A, Vliegenthart R, et al: European position statement on lung cancer screening. Lancet Oncol 18:e754-e766, 2017.
