How misinformation and missed chances stalled life-saving lung cancer screening

The implementation of population-based lung cancer screening (LCS) in the United States has been delayed for more than four decades, even though radiographic studies in the 1970s and 1980s had already demonstrated improvements in survival. Several factors have contributed to this prolonged lag, including apprehensions about overdiagnosis and false positives, ongoing debates about the necessity of multiple randomized controlled trials (RCTs), initial restrictions limiting screening to only high-risk individuals, and widespread concerns regarding radiation exposure. Despite substantial evidence by 2024 affirming that computerized tomographic (CT) screening can prevent lung cancer (LC) deaths by detecting tumors at an earlier, more treatable stage, a remarkably low percentage of eligible individuals partake in screening. (author introduction)