Patient Reminders and Longitudinal Adherence to Lung Cancer Screening in an Academic Setting

The recommendation of lung cancer screening and annual low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) among current and former smokers 55-80 years with a greater than or equal to 30-pack-year smoking history is discussed. While the optimal LDCT screening interval is unknown, serial LDCT is important for maximal screening efficacy. The detected 58% of cancers in the LDCT arm of the National Lung Screening Trial were detected by yearly LDCT suggests that a substantial proportion of the observed 20% reduction in lung cancer mortality was directly attributed to the 95% adherence to serial imaging.