Top imaging organizations have commended new recommendations to expand the lung cancer screening-eligible population, but remain concerned the changes do not go far enough.
The American College of Radiology and Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance both shared this apprehension in recent comments submitted to a United States Preventive Services Task Force draft recommendation statement.
Each group said it “strongly support[s]” USPSTF’s proposal to lower the starting age for low-dose CT screening from 55 to 50, along with loosening smoking history requirements from 30 pack-years to 20. Both, however, urged the federal guidelines to go further and remove additional “arbitrary” roadblocks, ACR and MITA said recently.
“The USPSTF continues to recommend a 15-year smoking cessation quit date and an upper age limit of 80 years,” MITA Executive Director Patrick Hope, said in an Aug. 3 letter. “We strongly recommend that the smoking cessation quit date and the upper age limit cut-off be removed,” he added later, noting such decisions should be left up to the patient and their physician.
USPSTF published its draft statement early last month, noting the new guidelines would help spot cancer in women and African Americans. Both groups tend to smoke less than white men, with Black individuals shown to face a higher risk of lung cancer.
The ACR came out in strong support of the changes, but urged for a broader quit-smoking requirement, from 15 to 20 years.
In its Aug. 3 letter, the group representing some 40,000 professionals reiterated this stance.
“The ACR urges the USPSTF to include real-world evidence, Post Market Surveillance data, as well as other well-designed research approaches as to refine their recommendation,” CEO of the ACR, William T. Thorwarth, Jr., MD, wrote in the letter. “Doing so would improve health and racial equity of low dose CT screening across disparate populations including the underserved, African Americans, and minorities, as well as women.”
Matt joined Chicago’s TriMed team in 2018 covering all areas of health imaging after two years reporting on the hospital field. He holds a bachelor’s in English from UIC, and enjoys a good cup of coffee and an interesting documentary.