Farjah F, Monsell SE, Smith-Bindman R, Gould MK, Banegas MP, Ramaprasan A, Schoen K, Buist DSM, Greenlee R. Fleischner Society Guideline Recommendations for Incidentally Detected Pulmonary Nodules and the Probability of Lung Cancer.
J Am Coll Radiol 2022;
19:1226-1235. [PMID:
36049538 DOI:
10.1016/j.jacr.2022.06.018]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE
The Fleischner Society aims to limit further evaluations of incidentally detected pulmonary nodules when the probability of lung cancer is <1% and to pursue further evaluations when the probability of lung cancer is ≥1%. To evaluate the internal consistency of guideline goals and recommendations, the authors evaluated stratum-specific recommendations and 2-year probabilities of lung cancer.
METHODS
A retrospective cohort study (2005-2015) was conducted of individuals enrolled in one of two integrated health systems with solid nodules incidentally detected on CT. The 2017 Fleischner Society guidelines were used to define strata on the basis of smoking status and nodule size and number. Lung cancer diagnoses within 2 years of nodule detection were ascertained using cancer registry data. Confidence interval (CI) inspection was used to determine if stratum-specific probabilities of lung cancer were different than 1%.
RESULTS
Among 5,444 individuals with incidentally detected lung nodule (median age, 66 years; 54% women; 57% smoked; median nodule size, 5.5 mm; 55% with multiple nodules) 214 (3.9%; 95% CI, 3.4%-4.5%) were diagnosed with lung cancer within 2 years. For 7 of 12 strata (58%), 2,765 patients (51%), and 194 lung cancer cases (91%), there was alignment between Fleischner Society goals and recommendations. Alignment was indeterminate for 5 strata (42%), 2,679 patients (49%), and 20 lung cancer cases (9%) because CIs for the probability of lung cancer spanned 1%.
CONCLUSIONS
Fleischner Society guideline goals and recommendations align at least half the time. It is uncertain whether alignment of guideline goals and recommendations occurs more often.
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