Current lung cancer screening practice amongst general practitioners in Western Australia

Lung cancer screening with low dose computed tomography (LDCT) is recommended in the USA and Canada for high-risk smokers but not in Australia. Using a cross-sectional survey, this study aimed to describe current lung cancer screening practices by general practitioners (GPs) in Western Australia (WA). In the last 12 months, 69% of GPs reported requesting either a screening chest x-ray (45%) and/or LDCT (41%) for one or more of their high-risk asymptomatic patients. LDCT screening was more common if the GP received education from radiology practices or if they believed screening is funded by the Medical Benefits Scheme. This study indicates a discordance between Australian screening recommendations and self-reported practices, as lung cancer screening with LDCT is occurring contrary to Australian guidelines and outside of a coordinated programme in WA. Read the full article
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