Currently, 75% of lung cancer patients are diagnosed too late to save them.Prof Field, who is leading the UK Lung Cancer Screening trial (UKLS), said that in 2012 someone died of lung cancer in the European Union every two minutes.
While the US evidence suggests that low-dose CT screening can reduce lung cancer deaths, the possible harms must be balanced with the benefits.Concerns include false positive results, radiation exposure and costs.
We are in contact with scientists working in both studies and the results, as soon as they are available, will contribute to the UK NSC's recommendation on whether to introduce a screening programme. A screening programme will only be recommended if the benefits clearly outweigh the harms following an assessment of the evidence against internationally agreed criteria.
