Delays in Follow-up after a Positive Lung Cancer Screening Exam: Is the Benefit of Screening Compromised?

Rivera et al discuss the study by Ahmed et al which evaluated delays in follow-up after a positive lung cancer screening (LCS) examination among 369 patients enrolled in a multisite LCS program in the Seattle area. Although the findings of delays in follow-up after positive low-dose computed tomography findings are not new, the impact of delays in follow-up care after a positive LCS examination on lung cancer upstaging reported by Ahmed et al is novel and clinically meaningful. Delay before the first follow-up after a positive examination does not factor in additional delays or barriers to surgery or other treatment for lung cancer, which may further compromise the benefits of LCS.