Context

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide.1 The majority of patients present with advanced disease and the current 5-year survival is only 15%.2 Previous research showed no mortality benefit to screening with chest radiography and sputum cytology. The recent results of the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) are the first to show a significant reduction in lung cancer mortality with the use of low-dose CT (LDCT) in high risk individuals. The potential for harm with screening and generalisability of results have been a cause for concern in initiation of lung cancer screening programmes. As such, a multisociety collaborative initiative was undertaken to develop the foundation for a clinical guideline for lung cancer screening.