1. Increased Utilization of Low-Dose CT for Lung Cancer Screening at an Arkansas Community Oncology Clinic.
- Author
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Ellis ET, Bauer MA, Beck JT, Bradford DS, Thompson J, Holt A, Kulik MC, Stahr SD, Hsu PC, and Su LJ
- Subjects
- Humans, Arkansas epidemiology, Male, Female, Middle Aged, Aged, Radiation Dosage, Incidence, Lung Neoplasms diagnostic imaging, Early Detection of Cancer, Tomography, X-Ray Computed
- Abstract
Background: Low-dose CT (LDCT) is underused in Arkansas for lung cancer screening, a rural state with a high incidence of lung cancer. The objective was to determine whether offering free LDCT increased the number of high-risk individuals screened in a rural catchment area., Methods: There were 5,402 patients enrolled in screening at Highlands Oncology, a community oncology clinic in Northwest Arkansas, from 2013 to 2020. Screenings were separated into time periods: period 1 (10 months for-fee), period 2 (10 months free with targeted advertisements and primary care outreach), and period 3 (62 months free with only primary care outreach). In all, 5,035 high-risk participants were eligible for analysis based on National Comprehensive Cancer Network Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology. Enrollment rates, incidence densities (IDs), Cox proportional hazard models, and Kaplan-Meier curves were performed to investigate differences between enrollment periods and high-risk groups., Results: Patient volume increased drastically once screenings were offered free of charge (period 1 = 4.6 versus period 2 = 66.0 and period 3 = 69.8 average patients per month). Incidence density per 1,000 person-years increased through each period (ID
Period 1 = 17.2; IDPeriod 2 = 20.8; IDPeriod 3 = 25.5 cases). Cox models revealed significant differences in lung cancer risk between high-risk groups (P = .012) but not enrollment periods (P = .19). Kaplan-Meier lung cancer-free probabilities differed significantly between high-risk groups (log-rank P = .00068) but not enrollment periods (log-rank P = .18)., Conclusions: This study suggests that eligible patients are more receptive to free LDCT screening, despite most insurances not having a required copay for eligible patients., (Copyright © 2023 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)- Published
- 2024
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