Korean Lung Cancer Screening Project (K-LUCAS)

◎ Objective

This study is to evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of lung cancer screening with LDCT for considering implementation of a national Lung Cancer Screening Program in Korea.

◎ Recruiting procedure

K-LUCAS involves 14 general hospitals located nationwide. The participants in K-LUCAS are recruited from the visitors in these hospitals for receiving national cancer screenings or smoking cessation services. The candidates are evaluated based on the questionnaire that is completed in prior to the national cancer screenings or smoking cessation services. Invitations will be sent to those candidates who meet our selection criteria to take part in LDCT lung cancer screening. Advertising to public including the information both of screening benefit and harm will be held in hospitals, newspaper, local bus stations and subways.

In addition to the criteria-based participant selection, a lung cancer risk prediction model will be adopted to improve the effectiveness of participant selection. The lung cancer risk prediction model considers various lung cancer risk factors in addition to age, smoking history and smoking quit duration which are already examined in the inclusion criteria. The model evaluates drinking amount, physical activity, family history of cancer, past history of lung disease and so on, in participant selection.

◎ Screening procedure

If the candidate meets the selection criteria or is approved by risk prediction model, investigators carefully explain the benefits or harms of the LDCT screening and offer them to participate in a LDCT lung cancer screening. If the candidate agrees on screening participation, an informed consent form is obtained and LDCT screening date is scheduled and confirmed. K-LUCAS also provides a smoking cessation counselling to current smokers on revisiting for the result counselling. A follow-up call is made after 6 months from the LDCT screening in order to assess smoking cessation status following LDCT screening.

◎Reporting LDCT results

The LDCT screening results are evaluated by radiologists in accordance with Lung imaging reporting and data system (Lung-RADS).

Network-based computer-aided detection (CAD) system will be used in K-LUCAS to assist reducing diagnostic errors and increasing lung nodule detection sensitivity.