Lung Cancer Screening in Elderly Veterans: New Insights on Early Detection and Treatment

Strategic Insights -

Researchers from Hallym University, South Korea, conducted a retrospective study on the effectiveness of low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening for lung cancer in elderly veterans. The study, published in Cancers, aimed to investigate the prevalence of pulmonary nodules and lung cancer detection rates in men aged 70 and above who underwent a single round of LDCT screening. The findings suggest that LDCT screening in elderly men resulted in a relatively high lung cancer detection rate, with over half of the diagnosed cases being identified at an early stage.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study included 1409 individuals with a mean age of 74.2 years, of which 1304 (92.6%) had a history of smoking.
  • Positive nodules were detected in 179 patients (12.7%, 95% CI: 11.0-14.5%), and lung cancer was diagnosed in 31 patients (2.2%, 95% CI: 1.5-3.1%).
  • Of the diagnosed cases, 14 (45.2%) were adenocarcinomas and 12 (38.7%) were squamous cell carcinomas. Nineteen patients (51.3%) were diagnosed with stage I or II cancer, while seven (22.6%) were diagnosed at stage IV.
  • The study highlights the potential clinical benefit of even one-time screening in enabling timely treatment, which may still be feasible in older adults.
  • However, potential harms such as overdiagnosis should also be considered.

Statistics:

  • 1409 individuals with a mean age of 74.2 years were included in the study.
  • 1304 (92.6%) of the individuals had a history of smoking.
  • Positive nodules were detected in 179 patients (12.7%, 95% CI: 11.0-14.5%).
  • Lung cancer was diagnosed in 31 patients (2.2%, 95% CI: 1.5-3.1%).
  • 14 (45.2%) of the diagnosed cases were adenocarcinomas.
  • 12 (38.7%) of the diagnosed cases were squamous cell carcinomas.
  • 19 (51.3%) patients were diagnosed with stage I or II cancer.
  • 7 (22.6%) patients were diagnosed with stage IV cancer.

Sources:

  • "Single-Round LDCT Screening in Men Aged 70 Years: Prevalence of Pulmonary Nodules and Lung Cancer Detection". Cancers, 2025;17(14):2318.
  • Jin Hwa Song et al. "Single-Round LDCT Screening in Men Aged 70 Years: Prevalence of Pulmonary Nodules and Lung Cancer Detection". Cancers, 2025;17(14):2318.
  • Hallym University. "Division of Pulmonology and Allergy, Dept. of Internal Medicine". Hwaseong 18450, South Korea.
  • Mdpi. "Cancers". St Alban-Anlage 66, Ch-4052 Basel, Switzerland.