Lung cancer screening in the real world: finding true benefits and harms for patients
Official title: Applying causal inference methods to improve estimation of the real-world benefits and harms of lung cancer screening
Funded at Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill · NIH-11357581 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how low-dose CT screening for lung cancer works in everyday healthcare, beyond clinical trial settings, to understand who benefits and who could be harmed.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $355,706 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA277756-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11357581 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults at risk for lung cancer who are eligible for LDCT screening and who participate in or are represented in real-world screening programs.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals at very low risk or those who experience harms that outweigh benefits in real-world settings may not benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers will analyze real-world data to see how well lung cancer screening with low-dose CT works for diverse people outside of trials. The work focuses on how many eligible individuals actually get screened, stay up to date with annual scans, and what the true benefits and downsides are in typical practice. By comparing trial results to real-world patterns, the study aims to clarify how screening should be implemented to help patients and minimize harms. The findings could guide strategies to improve uptake, adherence, and patient-centered decision making in screening programs.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Better, more accurate guidance on who should be screened and how to implement screening programs to maximize benefit and minimize harms for patients.
How similar studies have gone: Some prior work shows real-world uptake and adherence differ from trials; this study builds on that by focusing on real-world effectiveness across populations.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lund, Jennifer — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Lund, Jennifer
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.
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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.