Lung-RADS limits false readings and saves money in lung cancer screening, according to a study at ACR 2016.
Use of Lung-RADS will decrease Medicare costs over the next three years without affecting accuracy, according to a presentation at the 2016 annual meeting of the American College of Radiology.
Researchers from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the University of Washington in Seattle sought to evaluate the potential impacts of using a standardized low-dose CT (LDCT) lung cancer screening reporting and management system, the Lung Imaging Reporting and Data System, or Lung-RADS, compared with the use of a less structured system, from the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST). The study group involved patients aged 55 to 57, with a 30-pack-per-year or higher smoking history.
The researchers developed a simulation model to estimate the three-year incremental outcomes of screening using Lung-RADS compared with screening using the NLST protocol.
Projected outcomes were made for a Medicare population with 51.7 million members per year. The LDCT screening test characteristics were derived from the NLST. Costs that were included were:
• LDCT screening
• Follow-up imaging
• Confirmatory bronchoscopy/biopsy
• Stage-specific treatment
The outcomes were calculated assuming 100% adherence to Medicare screening criteria and nodule management protocols in the base case.
The results showed that an LDCT program in this patient group, over a three-year period, would be expected to see 1.3 million fewer false-positive screening results, 27,000 fewer invasive follow-up procedures, and decreased overall expenditure of $2.07 per-member per-year, for a total of $316 million.
The researchers concluded that their findings demonstrate that Lung-RADS can have important economic impacts in addition to reducing physical and psychological harms related to false-positive screening results.
GE HealthCare Debuts AI-Powered Cardiac CT Device at ACC Conference
April 1st 2025Featuring enhanced low-dose image quality with motion-free images, the Revolution Vibe CT system reportedly facilitates improved diagnostic clarity for patients with conditions ranging from in-stent restenosis to atrial fibrillation.
The Reading Room: Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Cancer Screenings, and COVID-19
November 3rd 2020In this podcast episode, Dr. Shalom Kalnicki, from Montefiore and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, discusses the disparities minority patients face with cancer screenings and what can be done to increase access during the pandemic.
Can Photon-Counting CT be an Alternative to MRI for Assessing Liver Fat Fraction?
March 21st 2025Photon-counting CT fat fraction evaluation offered a maximum sensitivity of 81 percent for detecting steatosis and had a 91 percent ICC agreement with MRI proton density fat fraction assessment, according to new prospective research.