Table 1 Characteristics of included studies
Study/country | Recruitment time | Screening programme | Comparator | Size (n) | Age (yrs) Gender (% male) | Entry | Number of screening rounds | Screening times and interval (yrs) | Duration of follow-up (mean/ median) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Direct meta-analysis and network meta-analysis – RCTs of LDCT screening | |||||||||
DANTE [39] Italy | 03/2001 to 02/2006 | LDCT, medical exam and one CXR | No screening, medical exam and one CXR | 2811 | 60–74 100 | Volunteers Smokers & ex-smokers | 5 vs 0 | T0, T1, T2, T3, T4 | At 12/2012, median 6 yrs 3.5 months |
DLCST [41] Denmark | 10/2004 to 03/2006 | LDCT | No screening | 4104 | 50–70 55 | Volunteers Smokers & ex-smokers | 5 vs 0 | T0, T1, T2, T3, T4 | At 4/2015, median 9.8 yrs both arms |
ITALUNG [43] Italy | 01/2004 to 12/2006 | LDCT, smoking cessation programme | No screening, smoking cessation programme | 3206 | 55–59 65 | Volunteers Smokers & ex-smokers | 4 vs 0 | T0, T1, T2, T3 | At 12/2014, median 9.3 yrs At 10/2019 a, median 11.3 yrs |
LSS [44] USA | Randomised 9/2000 to 01/2001 | LDCT | CXR | 3318 | 55–74 59 | Volunteers Smokers and ex-smokers | 2 vs 2 | T0, T1 | At 12/2005, median 5.2 yrs both groups |
LUSI [45] Germany | 09/2007 to 04/2011 | LDCT, smoking counselling | No screening, smoking counselling | 4052 | 50–69 65 | Volunteers Smokers and ex-smokers | 5 vs 0 | T0, T1, T2, T3, T4 | At 04/2018, mean 8.8 yrs overall |
Italy | 09/2005 to 09/2011 | LDCT (annual and biannual), smoking cessation, pulmonary function test, blood sample | No screening, smoking cessation, pulmonary function test, blood sample | 4099 | > 49 66 | Volunteers Smokers and ex-smokers | 7 or 4 vs 0 | T0, T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6 vs T0, T2, T4, T6 b | At 01/2011, median 4.4 years, both arms At 06/2018, “10 year results” |
The Netherlands & Belgium | 07/2003 to 12/2006 | LDCT | No screening | 15,822 | 50–75 84 | Volunteers Smokers and ex-smokers | 4 vs 0 | T0, T1, T3, T5.5 | At 12/2015, “minimum follow-up of 10 years” |
USA | 08/2002 to 04/2004 | LDCT | CXR | 53,454 | 55–74 59 | Volunteers Smokers and ex-smokers | 3 vs 3 | T0, T1, T2 | At 12/2009, median 6.5 yrs both groups At 07/2018 a, median 12.3 yrs |
UK | 10/2011 to 02/2013 | LDCT | No screening | 3968 | 50–75 75 | Volunteers High risk based on LLPv2 | 1 vs 0 | T0 | At September 2021: median 7.3 years |
Network meta-analysis (main)—RCTs of CXR screening | |||||||||
Czech republic | 06/1976 to 06/1977 | Intensive CXR, sputum cytology | Single CXR, sputum cytology | 6346 | 40–64 100 | Non-volunteers Smokers | 6 vs 1 | T0, T0.5, T1, T1.5, T2, T2.5, T3 vs T0, T3 Further follow-up CXRs (no sputum) T4, T5,T6 in both arms | At 6/2000 a, “Year 15 since enrollment” |
USA | 11/1971 to 07/1976 | Intensive CXR, sputum cytology | Usual care (recommended an annual CXR and sputum cytology) | 9211 | > 45 100 | Non-volunteers Smokers | 18 vs unknown | T0.3, T0,7, T1, T1.3, T1.7, T2.0, T 2.3, T2.7, T3, T3.3, T3.7, T4, T4.3, T4.7, T5, T5.3, T5.7, T 6 (4 monthly) vs unknown | At 12/1996, median 20.5 yrs |
Network meta-analysis (sensitivity)—RCTs of CXR screening (post hoc defined high-risk sub-group of larger RCT) | |||||||||
PLCO [62] USA | 1993 to 2001 | CXR | No screening | 154,901 (30,321 NLST eligible subgroup) | 55–74 61 | Volunteers Smokers and ex-smokers | 4 vs 0 | T0, T1, T2, T3 | At 12/2009, 6 yrs all participants NLST eligible subgroup. 13 yrs results “similar” |