Lung Cancer Screening and Diagnosis Techniques
Summary
Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide, in part because most cases present at an advanced stage. Early detection affords the best chance of curative treatment, and screening programmes have evolved substantially over the past decade. Low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) has supplanted chest radiography as the primary screening modality in high-risk populations, demonstrating a significant reduction in lung cancer mortality. Risk stratification tools, which integrate age, smoking history and comorbidities into multivariable algorithms, are increasingly employed to identify eligible individuals more efficiently than simple pack-year thresholds. Once a suspicious lesion is detected, diagnostic work-up combines advanced imaging—such as positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)—with tissue sampling techniques. Minimally invasive approaches, including endobronchial ultrasound and navigational bronchoscopy, improve diagnostic yield while reducing procedural risk. Molecular profiling of biopsy specimens guides personalised therapy and informs prognosis. Emerging approaches encompass radiomics and artificial intelligence for lesion characterisation, as well as blood-based biomarkers—such as circulating tumour DNA and protein signatures—to complement imaging and to monitor disease recurrence. Together, these innovations are reshaping the early detection and diagnostic landscape, with the potential to broaden applicability, increase accessibility and improve outcomes on a global scale.
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Lung Cancer Screening and Diagnosis Techniques publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in lung cancer screening and diagnosis techniques across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Low-dose computed tomography (LDCT): An imaging technique that uses reduced radiation doses to produce detailed lung scans for early detection of nodules.
Liquid biopsy: A minimally invasive test that analyses circulating tumour cells, DNA or other biomarkers in blood to detect and monitor cancer.
Risk prediction model: A multivariable algorithm that calculates individual lung cancer risk based on demographic and clinical factors to guide screening eligibility.
Radiomics: The extraction and analysis of quantitative features from medical images to characterise tumour phenotype and predict clinical outcomes.
Circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA): Fragments of tumour-derived DNA found in the bloodstream that can indicate the presence of cancer and its genomic alterations.
References
- Global Epidemiology of Lung Cancer. Annals of Global Health (2019).
- Current and Future Development in Lung Cancer Diagnosis. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2021).
- Risk prediction models for selection of lung cancer screening candidates: A retrospective validation study. PLOS Medicine (2017).
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