1741P - Are physicians aware of lung cancer screening benefits and the importance of implementing this? Data from two public hospitals in Buenos Aires province, Argentina

Background

Lung cancer is the third most common cancer in Argentina in both sexes and the leading cause of cancer death, being smoking the most significant risk factor. Despite the effectiveness of a low dose computed tomography (LDCT) as a screening method, more than 70% of cases are still diagnosed at advanced stages, limiting patients' survival chances.

Methods

Observational, descriptive, and cross-sectional study. An anonymous online survey with closed-ended questions was conducted among physicians from San Roque and San Juan de Dios hospital, to assess their knowledge of lung cancer screening, its implementation, and possible barriers related to accessibility.

Results

The final sample of the study consisted of 102 physicians, with a median age of 33 years-old and a median of 6 years of practice. 70% of physicians knew about lung cancer screening methods, but 40% considered the risk-benefit balance to be negative. Only 8 physicians knew the criteria for selecting the high-risk population, and 78 were not familiar with the NLST and NELSON trials. Although 61.8% knew about LDCT, 82.4% did not use it as a screening test, and 69.6% were unaware of its availability at their hospital. 31.4% were not confident in using LDCT as a screening tool, and 12.7% would not use it at all.

Conclusions

The results indicate that most physicians surveyed are not familiar with the criteria for selecting the high-risk population and do not routinely recommend lung cancer screening. Additionally, there was a significant lack of knowledge about the NLST and NELSON trials and the availability of LDCT at their hospitals. Urgent training, updates on the application of a lung cancer screening program and the dissemination of current scientific information on the topic are of paramount importance for local healthcare professionals in order to Improve patient outcomes.

Clinical trial identification

Editorial acknowledgement

Legal entity responsible for the study

V. Vidal.

Funding

Has not received any funding.

Disclosure

All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.