Abstract
As smoking continues to decline in many developed countries, the proportion of lung cancers in nonsmokers will rise. This shift may create substantial pressure to further expand lung cancer screening to lower-risk groups. To determine the association of lung cancer incidence with the promotion of screening in a largely nonsmoking population. This population-based ecological cohort study of stage-specific lung cancer incidence used the Taiwan Cancer Registry to identify women diagnosed with lung cancer from January 1, 2004, to December 31, 2018. Smoking prevalence among Taiwanese women has been less than 5% since 1980. Data were analyzed from February 13, 2020, to November 10, 2021. Low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening for lung cancer, initiated during the early 2000s. Change in stage-specific lung cancer incidence. An effective cancer screening program will not only increase the incidence of early-stage cancer but also decrease the incidence of cancer presenting at a late stage. A total of 57 898 women were diagnosed with lung cancer in a population of approximately 12 million Taiwanese women. After the introduction of LDCT screening, the incidence of early-stage (stages 0-I) lung cancer in women increased more than 6-fold, from 2.3 to 14.4 per 100 000 population (absolute difference, 12.1 [95% CI, 11.3-12.8]) from 2004 to 2018. There was no change, however, in the incidence of late-stage (stages II-IV) lung cancer, from 18.7 to 19.3 per 100 000 (absolute difference, 0.6 [95% CI, -0.5 to 1.7]). Because the additional 12.1 per 100 000 early-stage cancers were not accompanied by a concomitant decline in late-stage cancers, virtually all the additional cancers detected represent overdiagnosis. Despite stable mortality, 5-year survival more than doubled from 2004 to 2013, from 18% to 40%, which is arguably the highest lung cancer survival rate in the world. This population-based ecological cohort study found that low-dose computed tomographic screening of mostly nonsmoking Asian women was associated with considerable lung cancer overdiagnosis. Five-year survival is biased by the increased LDCT detection of indolent early-stage lung cancers. Unless randomized trials can demonstrate some value to low-risk groups, LDCT screening should remain targeted only to heavy smokers.
Highlights
5-year survival more than doubled from 2004 to 2013, from 18% to 40%, which is arguably the highest lung cancer survival rate in the world. This population-based ecological cohort study found that low-dose computed tomographic screening of mostly nonsmoking Asian women was associated with considerable lung cancer overdiagnosis
Unless randomized trials can demonstrate some value to low-risk groups, Low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening should remain targeted only to heavy smokers
The pattern of incidence growth—dramatically rising early-stage incidence coupled with stable late-stage incidence—is difficult to explain as anything other than an effect of screening or incidental detection. The findings of this population-based ecological cohort study suggest that LDCT screening of mostly nonsmoking Asian women was associated with considerable overdiagnosis of lung cancer
Summary
This population-based ecological cohort study followed the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) reporting guideline. To examine the possibility of overdiagnosis after LDCT promotion targeting women, we calculated stage-specific lung cancer incidence using data from the Taiwan National Cancer Registry.[26]. Founded in 1979, the Taiwan National Cancer Registry is a population-based cancer registry that has met the quality criteria for inclusion in the worldwide surveillance of trends in cancer survival (CONCORD 2 and 3).[27,28]. We sought evidence on the 2 fundamental prerequisites for an effective screening program: (1) increased early-stage incidence, demonstrating that screening detects cancer early, and (2) decreased late-stage incidence, demonstrating that screening leads to a reduction in the presentation of advanced cancer. In the setting of stable true cancer occurrence, rising early-stage incidence not followed by a concomitant decline in late-stage incidence is pathognomonic of overdiagnosis
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