Early Experience with Lung Cancer Screening in the United States

Recent research published in the JTO Clinical and Research Reports by investigators from the Medical University of South Carolina has shed light on the early implementation of lung cancer screening in the United States. The study, which linked data from the American College of Radiology's Lung Cancer Screening Registry (LCSR) to Medicare and Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) cancer registry data, aimed to create a national data linkage and investigate the characteristics of individuals undergoing lung cancer screening. The researchers found that the linked populations were generally representative of older individuals in the LCSR, providing an unprecedented opportunity to better understand the early implementation of lung cancer screening.

Key Takeaways:

• The United States Preventive Services Taskforce recommended lung cancer screening in 2013, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services coverage decision in 2015 required data submission to a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services-approved registry for facilities to receive payment for screening.
• The American College of Radiology's Lung Cancer Screening Registry (LCSR) received approval for this purpose, but some LCSR elements, such as race, ethnicity, downstream diagnostic procedures, and cancer outcomes, were underreported.
• To address underreporting, the researchers linked data from the LCSR to Medicare and SEER cancer registry data from 2015 to 2021, creating two different cohorts of individuals aged 65 years and older.
• The linked populations were generally representative of older individuals in the LCSR, with demographic, smoking history, and screening examination data elements in the linked data being generally similar to those in the overall LCSR.
• The study provides an unprecedented opportunity to better understand the early implementation of lung cancer screening in the United States.

Statistics:

• 2013: The United States Preventive Services Taskforce recommended lung cancer screening.
• 2015: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services coverage decision required data submission to a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services-approved registry for facilities to receive payment for screening.
• 2015-2021: The time period for which Medicare and SEER cancer registry data were linked to the LCSR.
• 65 years and older: The age group of individuals in the linked cohorts.
• 100825: The unique identifier for the journal article published in JTO Clinical and Research Reports.

Sources:

• The United States' Early Experience With Lung Cancer Screening-Creation of a National Data Linkage: A Brief Report (JTO Clinical and Research Reports, 2025,6(6):100825).
• NewsRx. Recent Findings in Lung Cancer Described by Researchers from Medical University of South Carolina (The United States' Early Experience With Lung Cancer Screening-Creation of a National Data Linkage: A Brief Report). Cancer Weekly. June 10, 2025; p 34.