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Non lung cancer factors affecting survival in NLST trial

Principal Investigator
Name
Malcolm Decamp
Institution
Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Position Title
Chief of thoracic surgery
Email
About this CDAS Project
Study
NLST (Learn more about this study)
Project ID
NLST-51
Initial CDAS Request Approval
Feb 7, 2014
Title
Non lung cancer factors affecting survival in NLST trial
Summary
The NLST trial is a unique project with extensive prospectively acquired data on more than 50,000 patients with extensive tobacco exposure. There was a 20% reduction in lung cancer mortality and a 7% reduction in all-cause mortality in the cohort having low-dose CT screening. We want to explore conditions detected on low dose CT scans other than lung cancer which can potentially affect survival.

CT scans can identify potentially lethal conditions for example; aortic aneurysm, thymic malignancy, etc. Other potentially significant findings can be identified which may warrant further investigation and/or intervention e.g. coronary calcification as marker of CAD, pleural or mediastinal tumors, adenopathy etc.
In our study we hope to identify these “incidental” findings and characterize their significance.
Aims

Using LSS and ACRINE datasets from the NLST
1. We will identify significant findings other than lung nodules detected on low dose CT scans.
2. We will attempt to characterize a subset of these findings requiring additional investigation as potentially treatable.
3. We will attempt to link them with mortality causes and ideally if this data is available to identify procedures performed for these diagnoses.
4. Identify and describe reasons for improved survival (not lung cancer related) in the CT-screened cohort while beginning to explore the costs related to these additional investigations.

Collaborators

Andrei Churyla, MD Northwestern memorial Hospital
Eric Hart, MD Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Adin-Cristian Andrei, PhD Northwestern Memorial Hospital