Mamta Ruparel publishes editorial in Thorax on Lung Cancer screening

Congratulations to North East Thames trainee and research fellow at the Lungs for Living Research Centre at UCL, Mamta Ruparel, who has co-authored an Editorial in Thorax with Prof Sam Janes. They argue that the UK health system serves its patients with lung cancer poorly, with a 13% 5-year survival attributed largely to late-stage presentation. Approximately 70% of lung cancer in the UK is diagnosed at stage III and IV leaving options for curative treatment greatly diminished. They highlight the fact that there is a growing body of evidence examining low dose CT (LDCT) screening programmes, aimed at detecting cancer at an earlier, and therefore more treatable stage, but that this data is largely from the US, limiting generalisability to the UK.

They therefore welcome publication of data from the UK Lung Cancer Pilot Screening Trial (UKLS). However, while this data answers many questions, it poses many more. They highlight difficulties in determining screening eligibility, in recruitment and in assessing cost-effectiveness.

They conclude that “The UKLS study provides invaluable data on the prevalence, stage and treatments of cancers generated by a single LDCT screening round. It also beautifully demonstrates the extent of the obstacles we potentially face with engaging the higher risk population and the need for cost-effective, yet stringent nodule management algorithms. We better get ready.”

Read the full text article here:

Editorial: Lung cancer screening: what we can learn from UKLS? M Ruparel, S M Janes. Thorax 2016;71:2 103–104 doi:10.1136/thoraxjnl-2015-208210