Choosing the best way to pick people for lung cancer screening
Official title: Cost-Effectiveness of Lung Cancer Screening Strategies For All Populations
Funded at Wake Forest University Health Sciences · NIH-11193965 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project compares three ways of deciding who should get low-dose CT scans so more high-risk people are found early while using health care resources wisely.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wake Forest University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Winston-Salem, United States) |
| Project start | September 22, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $201,757 |
| NIH project number | 5R21MD020158-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11193965 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People most relevant are adults with a history of smoking or other lung cancer risk factors—typically middle-aged and older adults who might meet current screening criteria.
✕Less likely to help
People with very low or no lung cancer risk (for example lifelong non-smokers) or those without access to screening services are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
What this research studies
If you're someone worried about lung cancer because of age or smoking history, this work looks at who would be invited for low-dose CT screening under three common approaches: USPSTF rules, American Cancer Society rules, and a risk model called PLCOm2012. The team will use real-world data and a cost-effectiveness framework to estimate benefits, harms, and costs across different age and smoking groups. They will look at trade-offs like how many cancers are found, false alarms, and how much screening costs the health system. The goal is to build an easy-to-use decision tool so health leaders can choose the best screening approach for different communities.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help more people at true risk get screened earlier while reducing unnecessary scans and spending.
How similar studies have gone: Low-dose CT screening has been shown to reduce lung cancer deaths and risk models like PLCOm2012 have promising evidence, but direct comparisons of cost-effectiveness across real-world U.S. populations are still limited.
Where this research is happening
-
Wake Forest University Health Sciences
Winston-Salem, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lin, Meng-Yun — Wake Forest University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Lin, Meng-Yun
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Digital health strategies to expand lung cancer screening in safety-net clinics
A funded project aims to help low-resource clinics increase the use of lung cancer screening for patients who smoke or are at risk.
-
Integrated approach to lung screening and quitting for African Americans
A multi-level program aims to boost LDCT lung cancer screening uptake and help African American smokers quit, with support from a comprehensive community-focused plan.
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Population health approach to boost lung cancer screening at community clinics
A large Utah project aims to help community clinics reach more eligible adults to get low-dose CT lung cancer screening.
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Group-based tobacco treatment for older adults after lung cancer screening
A study tests a group-based tobacco cessation program for older adults who are getting lung cancer screening to help them quit smoking.
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Personalized Lung Cancer Screening for Veterans
Aimed at improving who gets screened and how lung cancer is diagnosed among Veterans using personalized tools.
-
Proteogenomic framework to improve lung cancer screening with biomarkers
A biomarker-based approach aims to refine LDCT lung cancer screening so more cancers are caught early while reducing unnecessary procedures.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.