Comorbidities, smoking status, and life expectancy among individuals eligible for lung cancer screening

BACKGROUND Lung cancer screening recommendations are based on results from the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST). The authors determined how the screening‐eligible US population differs from NLST participants in terms of characteristics that affect their ability to benefit from screening. METHODS The authors identified respondents to the 2012 Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a national survey of individuals aged ≥50 years who are eligible for screening based on US Preventive Services Task Force and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services criteria. Comorbidities, life expectancy, smoking history, and other characteristics were compared between the screening‐eligible population and NLST participants. RESULTS The authors estimated that in 2013, 8.4 million individuals (95% confidence interval, 7.9‐8.9 million individuals) would have met the eligibility criteria for lung cancer screening established by the US Preventive Services Task Force. Compared with NLST participants, HRS screening‐eligible respondents were older, more likely to be current smokers, and more likely to have been diagnosed with comorbidities. The 5‐year survival rate was 87% in the HRS screening‐eligible individuals versus 93% in the NLST participants (P