Clinician Fact Sheet on Screening for Lung Cancer Final Recommendation Statement

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) sent this bulletin at 01/13/2014 12:55 PM EST

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force posted today a supplemental fact sheet for primary care clinicians on itsfinal recommendation statement on screening for lung cancer. This resource is meant to help health care professionals talk about lung cancer screening with their patients and determine if screening is appropriate, as well as help clinicians understand how to implement this recommendation. It is important to help patients understand if they are at high risk for lung cancer and if they should consider getting screening.

The Task Force published the final recommendation on screening for lung cancer last month. For more information about any of the Task Force’s recommendations and resources, please visit its Web site atwww.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org.

Screening for Lung Cancer

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) makes recommendations about the effectiveness of specific preventive care services for patients without related signs or symptoms.

It bases its recommendations on the evidence of both the benefits and harms of the service and an assessment of the balance. The USPSTF does not consider the costs of providing a service in this assessment.

The USPSTF recognizes that clinical decisions involve more considerations than evidence alone. Clinicians should understand the evidence but individualize decision making to the specific patient or situation. Similarly, the USPSTF notes that policy and coverage decisions involve considerations in addition to the evidence of clinical benefits and harms.

This article was first published in Annals of Internal Medicine on 31 December 2013. Select for copyright and source information.

Summary of Recommendation and Evidence

Rationale

Clinical Considerations

Other Considerations

Discussion

Update of Previous USPSTF Recommendation

Recommendations of Others

Members of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force

References

Task Force Ratings
Strength of Recommendations and Quality of Evidence

Summary of Recommendation and Evidence

The USPSTF recommends annual screening for lung cancer with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) in adults aged 55 to 80 years who have a 30 pack-year smoking history and currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years. Screening should be discontinued once a person has not smoked for 15 years or develops a health problem that substantially limits life expectancy or the ability or willingness to have curative lung surgery. (B recommendation)

Return to Contents

Copyright and Source Information

Source: This article was first published in Annals of Internal Medicine on 31 December 2013.

Disclaimer: Recommendations made by the USPSTF are independent of the U.S. government. They should not be construed as an official position of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Financial Support: The USPSTF is an independent, voluntary body. The U.S. Congress mandates that the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality support the operations of the USPSTF.

Potential Conflicts of Interest: None disclosed. Disclosure forms from USPSTF members can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M13-2771.

Requests for Single Reprints: Reprints are available from the USPSTF Web site (www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org).

Return to Contents

AHRQ Publication No. 13-05196-EF-3
Current as of December 2013

Internet Citation:

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for Lung Cancer: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. AHRQ Publication No. 13-05196-EF-3. http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf13/lungcan/lungcanfinalrs.htm