Optimal lung cancer screening intervals following a negative low-dose computed tomography result

For the last several decades lung cancer has been the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide with an estimated 2.1 million new lung cancer diagnoses in 2018 and accounting for 12% of the global cancer burden (1). Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States and the five-year survival rate for non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer combined is a dismal 19% (2). The high mortality rates and poor survival outcomes of this disease are primarily attributed to the majority of patients diagnosed with late stage disease, when the prospects for cure are limited.