Cancer center lung experts help create new national guidelines for safe CT lung cancer screening

A leading group of 25 medical experts from across the country, including two at UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, has released new guidelines designed to improve care for patients undergoing low-dose CT (computed tomography) lung cancer screening.

The national recommendations were recently published in the Annals of Thoracic Surgery.

Lung cancer screening using low-dose CT scans can find small nodules in the lungs before symptoms appear, helping doctors treat cancer sooner and more successfully. However, experts say that how patients are evaluated and treated after a suspicious finding is just as important as the screening itself.

To address this, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) convened a multidisciplinary panel of specialists - including surgeons, radiologists, pulmonologists and other lung disease experts - to review the latest research and establish clear, practical standards for care.

UC Davis Health makes big impact

"CT lung cancer screening is saving lives by finding cancers earlier. Our goal was to make sure patients receive the safest, most effective care at every step after that initial scan," said one of the study's authors UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center's Physician-in-Chief David Tom Cooke.

Cooke is also founding chief of the Division of General Thoracic Surgery at UC Davis Health.

Also contributing to the new standards is Chinh Phan, medical director of Interventional Pulmonary Services at UC Davis Health.

Cooke and Phan, with the help of medical staff, have launched a nationally recognized lung cancer screening program that emphasizes education and prevention. This comes as UC Davis Health, for the first time, is diagnosing more early- than late-stage lung cancer, due to new technology and low-dose CT lung cancer screening.

"By setting clear, evidence-based standards and encouraging a team approach, we can help ensure every patient everywhere receives high-quality care and low-dose CT lung cancer screening," Phan said.

Clear benchmarks for safer care

The expert panel reviewed current research and developed 23 consensus decision recommendations focused on improving quality and consistency in care. These recommendations cover key aspects of diagnosis and treatment, including when to perform biopsies, acceptable complication rates and how quickly patients should receive treatment after a concerning finding.

Among the key highlights:

• Careful decision-making before surgery: Doctors may proceed directly to surgery for some patients even without a biopsy if the risk of cancer is high. However, less invasive surgical approaches are strongly preferred. The guidelines discourage major procedures like removing an entire lung without a confirmed diagnosis.
• Safety standards for procedures: The panel established clear benchmarks for complications from diagnostic procedures, such as keeping lung collapse rates (pneumothorax) below 5% and serious bleeding under 2%.
• Timely treatment: Patients with suspicious findings should ideally receive definitive treatment within 12 weeks.
• Team-based care: The panel emphasized that patients benefit most when their care is managed by a multidisciplinary team that includes surgeons, pulmonologists, radiologists, and other cancer specialists.
• Focus on overall health: Smoking cessation and pulmonary rehabilitation were highlighted as important steps to improve outcomes before surgery.

The new guidance also recommends tracking how often surgeries reveal non-cancerous conditions, ensuring that unnecessary procedures are minimized.

Supporting better outcomes nationwide

The recommendations provide a framework for hospitals and screening programs to improve care quality, enhance communication among specialists and support shared decision-making with patients.

Experts say these standards will help ensure that the benefits of lung cancer screening translate into better long-term outcomes - while reducing risks associated with diagnosis and treatment.

"As lung cancer screening becomes more widely adopted, these guidelines offer a roadmap for delivering consistent, patient-centered care across the country," Cooke said.

To schedule a CT lung cancer screening at UC Davis Health, call 916-734-0655.

Related links:

National recognition elevates UC Davis Health for its premier lung cancer care

Early Low-Dose CT Screening Key to Curing Lung Cancer Through Advanced Treatment (video)