Understanding False Alarms in Lung Cancer Screening

Lung Cancer Screening: Cumulative Risk and Multilevel Impact of False Positive Findings

['FUNDING_R01'] · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · NIH-11141221

This project looks at how often false alarms happen in lung cancer screening and how they affect patients, doctors, and healthcare systems.

Quick facts

Phase['FUNDING_R01']
Study typeNih_funding
SexAll
SponsorUNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL (nih funded)
Locations1 site (CHAPEL HILL, UNITED STATES)
Trial IDNIH-11141221 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this research studies

The National Lung Screening Trial showed that lung cancer screening can save lives, but it also found many false-positive results. These false alarms mean you might need more tests or procedures, which can cause worry and extra costs, even if you don't have cancer. This project wants to understand the full impact of these false alarms on people like you, your doctors, and the healthcare system over time. By learning more about why false positives happen and their effects, we hope to make lung cancer screening better and less stressful for everyone.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Patients who are currently undergoing or are candidates for lung cancer screening, particularly those aged 50-80 with a significant smoking history, would be ideal.

Not a fit: Individuals who are not candidates for lung cancer screening based on age or smoking history would not directly benefit from this particular research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to improved lung cancer screening methods that reduce unnecessary worry and procedures for patients.

How similar studies have performed: While lung cancer screening efficacy is established, this specific focus on the cumulative and multilevel impact of false positives in real-world settings is a novel area of investigation.

Where this research is happening

CHAPEL HILL, UNITED STATES

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.

View on NIH RePORTER →

Last reviewed 2026-05-15 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.