Low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) versus other cancer screenings in early diagnosis of lung cancer: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. It is often diagnosed at an advanced stage when treatment is no longer possible. Early population-based screening may provide an opportunity for early diagnosis and reduce mortality rates. METHODS: Study characteristics were collected and outcome data (lung cancer diagnosis and mortality) were extracted and used for meta-analysis. Statistical analyses were performed using OpenMetaAnalyst-0.1503 software. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to assess LDCT compared to other screening methods under the random-effects model. The I2 statistic was used to assess heterogeneity. RESULTS: Pooling data from 4 studies (64,129 patients) showed a higher incidence of diagnosed lung cancer with LDCT screening (OR = 1.86, 95% CI: 1.02–3.37), compared to other screening tools. However, no significant difference (OR = 1.13, 95% CI: 0.78–1.64) was found in lung cancer mortality between both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Although no significant difference was found between LDCT and other control groups in terms of lung cancer mortality, this meta-analysis suggests an increased diagnosis of lung cancer with LDCT as compared with other screening modalities. This meta-analysis displays the potential but also the limitations of LDCT for early lung cancer detection.