Eligibility for low-dose computerized tomography screening among asbestos-exposed individuals

• Main Authors: Natalie R Fitzgerald (Author), William M Flanagan (Author), William K Evans (Author), Anthony B Miller (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: Nordic Association of Occupational Safety and Health (NOROSH), 2015-07-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.

Summary

OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to incorporate an estimate of risk for asbestos exposure in the Canadian Cancer Risk Management Lung Cancer (CRMM-LC) microsimulation model. METHODS: In CRMM-LC, a 3-year probability of developing lung cancer can be derived from different risk profiles. An asbestos-exposed cohort was simulated and different scenarios of low-dose computerized tomography (LDCT) screening were simulated. RESULTS: As annual LDCT screening among non-asbestos-exposed individuals is less cost-effective than biennial screening, all the scenarios modeled for an asbestos-exposed cohort were biennial. For individuals with a two-fold risk of asbestos-induced lung cancer to be eligible for biennial LDCT screening, a smoking history of ≥15 pack-years would be necessary. For non-smokers with asbestos exposure resulting in a relative risk (RR) for lung cancer, it is not cost-effective to screen those with a RR of 5, but it is cost-effective to screen those with a RR of 10 (the heavily exposed). CONCLUSION: Asbestos-exposed individuals with an estimated two-fold or more risk of lung cancer from asbestos-exposure are eligible for LDCT screening at all ages from 55-74 years if they have a cigarette smoking history of ≥15 pack-years. Asbestos-exposed individuals who are lifelong non-smokers are eligible for LDCT screening at all ages from 55-74 years if they have accumulated a degree of asbestos exposure resulting in an estimated risk of lung cancer of ≥10.

Item Description

0355-3140
1795-990X
10.5271/sjweh.3496