Reducing the Incidence of Advanced Lung Cancer With Interception-Lung: A Study of a Personalized Pilot Lung Cancer Screening and Prevention Program

Interception-Lung is a French, soon to be nationally deployed, community hospital and digital-physical, personalized, pilot lung cancer screening and prevention program with an ultimate objective of reducing the incidence of advanced lung cancer. Results of a study that occurred between 2021 and 2023 and examined the impact of the program were presented at the ESMO Congress 2023.

Men and women aged 50 years and older who were active or former smokers (quit ≤10 years) were eligible to be invited to attend a “One Stop Shop” that included personalized prevention consultations, counseling on smoking cessation, and lung cancer screening with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) on the basis of a shared medical decision, as well as educational group workshops on smoking and lung cancer, nutrition, and physical activity. Screening outcome was either positive, negative, or indeterminate, as per the European position statement on lung cancer screening recommendations. A total of 276 individuals (187 of whom were women, with a median age of 57 years) attended the One Stop Shop between May 2021 and 2023. Among the group, 54% had post-high school training or were college educated; 73% were active smokers; 15% were regular cannabis users; and 16% reported any use of vape. The researchers found that 37% had a previous history of another cancer (mainly breast). Median 6-year lung cancer risk according to the PLCOm2012noRace prediction model was 1.4% (range, 0.7%-2.9%).

Results of the first screening round were negative, indeterminate, and positive in 65%, 31%, and 4% of the participants, respectively. Five participants had surgery, three had lung cancer (stage I adenocarcinoma), and two had a benign histology. The researchers found the proportion of indeterminate screenings decreased from 31% to 8% at the second round. Among 56 initially active smokers with already available extended follow-up data, 12 (21%) were abstinent at 1 year from the One Stop Shop.

The researchers concluded that “a combined intervention mixing lung cancer screening and prevention is feasible and could increase the benefit of LDCT screening and long-term smoking cessation rates. Reducing false-positives and improving risk-based identification and referral for screening is a major challenge.”

Source: Abdayem P. Early impact of a personalized lung cancer interception program for heavy smokers. Abstract of a poster presented at the ESMO Congress 2023; October 20-24, 2023; Madrid, Spain.