Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death both in Norway and worldwide. Evidence in support of low-dose CT (LDCT) screening exists but screening not widely available in Europe due to gaps in capacity and efficiency evaluations.
The overarching objective of LC-CONTROL is to identify a set of coordinated lung cancer control programs (i.e., tobacco control, screening, and cancer treatment) that sustainably and efficiently reduce the burden of lung cancer and related diseases for all social groups.
LC-CONTROL will explore opportunities to:
1) extend the reach of lung cancer screening beyond traditional screening eligibility criteria,
2) improve lung nodule management and workflow using AI and genomic information, and
3) design coordinated cancer control strategies to ensure that the national and international approaches to lung cancer control are a sustainable public health program.
Background
Most lung cancers are caused by exposure to tobacco smoke, and it is the leading cause of cancer death both in Europe and worldwide, and importantly of lost life years. In Norway, lung cancer causes ~2200 deaths annually, which constitutes 19,3% of cancer mortality and is the fifth common cause of all deaths. Moreover, lung cancer is responsible for ~40 700 years of lost life years (as the second most important cause in Norway). The most important determinant of survival is the disease stage at diagnosis, with 5-year relative survival ranging from 64,2% for localized cancer to 7,7% for distant cancer. Unfortunately, ~75% of the cases are detected at an advanced stage. In addition to these health losses, treating lung cancer places an economic burden on healthcare systems, costing >€3 billion per year in Europe. Forthcoming treatments for late-stage cancers provide opportunities for improved prognosis but will increase the economic burden. Exposure to tobacco smoking has changed over time; in the early 1970s, about 40% of the adult population were daily smokers, while this proportion is now down to just below 10%. However, as the median age of a lung cancer diagnosis is 73 years (cite CIN 2023), adults smoking in the 1970s and 80s are currently at the age when lung cancer typically occur. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify novel lung cancer control strategies that promote primary prevention (i.e., smoking cessation), early detection, and prevention of lung cancer deaths.
