Lung cancer screening in a high-risk population

KCE Reports 379C (2024)

More and more people are calling for regular screening with low-dose CT scans for people at high risk of lung cancer, such as (ex-)heavy smokers. Treatment options and survival are considerably better when lung cancer is identified at an early stage. KCE has analysed the effectiveness, safety and cost-effectiveness of such screening. It concludes lung cancer screening can be cost-effective if €20,000 is deemed an acceptable price for the gain of one year of healthy life. However, as lung cancer screening comes with major advantages but also considerable drawbacks, it is essential to carefully weigh its pros and cons at the societal and the individual level.