Putting Lung Cancer Screening Education into Practice

Discover more from our special Focus on Education. Explore additional informative articles in this collection.

Lung cancer screening is the most effective weapon to find and treat the disease early. This year more than a quarter of a million people nationally will be diagnosed with lung cancer, with the rate of new cases varying by state. Annual screening with annual low-dose CT scans can reduce the death rate by up to 20% by finding tumors early and treating the disease when it is most curable.

Recognizing the challenges around compliance rates for at-risk individuals who are eligible for chest CT screening, ACR provides educational courses to shift the tide of underutilization. The ACR Lung Cancer Screening Education module is a multidisciplinary lung cancer screening program that applies a patient-centered approach to shared decision making — and helps meet requirements for ACR CT Lung Cancer Screening Accreditation. The lung cancer screening module was originally released in June 2021 and renewed in May 2024 with a new expiration date of April 30, 2027.

Invaluable Training

“The ACR Lung Cancer Screening Education Module is a comprehensive resource that provides the foundational knowledge necessary for the performance and interpretation of lung cancer screening CTs,” says Jared D. Christensen, MD, MBA, professor and vice chair of strategy at the Duke University Department of Radiology, imaging director of the Duke Lung Screening Program, and chair of the ACR Lung-RADS Committee. “It covers the technical aspects of lung cancer screening and reinforces evidence-based principles for the classification and management of screen-detected nodules using Lung-RADS®. This module is available free of charge to ACR members, making it an essential tool for anyone involved in lung cancer screening.”

The lung education module emphasizes best practices for interactions with patients, acquisition parameters for low-dose screening chest CT (LDCT), management strategies for indeterminate nodular findings, characterization of nodules with benign and malignant features, and the development of structured reporting for lung cancer screening using ACR Lung-RADS v2022.

Practical Application

The case-based format and detailed explanations in the lung cancer screening module make it an invaluable resource for radiologists and other healthcare professionals, Christensen says: “Whether you are establishing a lung cancer screening program or looking to refine your interpretative skills, the module can give you the knowledge and confidence needed to deliver high-quality, evidence-based screening.”

“The Lung Cancer Screening Education Module is an excellent free tool for all radiologists,” says Melissa Parker, ACR education specialist. The module is broken out into 11 “chapters” to provide a complete view of lung cancer screening procedures and management strategies.

“We are most proud of the recent update to the module, which reflects ACR Lung-RADS v2022. This is the most current information available for standardized reporting of LDCT for lung cancer screening,” Parker says. The update went through extensive review from subspecialist experts who were meticulous in their presentation of the material and in its relevance within the radiology community. “It has been a pleasure being part of this effort to keep lung cancer screening current, top of mind and on the cutting edge,” Parker says. “I’m confident this module will provide all readers with the information they need to put lung cancer screening into practice.”

Resources and Lung Cancer Screening Day

In addition to the education module, ACR hosts a wealth of lung screening tools and resources. The College also co-hosts National Lung Cancer Screening Day, held on the second Saturday of November each year. “Lung cancer has the highest cancer-related death rate worldwide, but screening significantly improves outcomes,” says Beverlee Carlisle, PMP, project manager for ACR’s Lung Cancer Screening Steering Committee.

Holding the event on Saturday helps improve access by encouraging facilities to offer LDCT appointments on a weekend — allowing more people to get screened without taking time off work, Carlisle says. Since its 2022 launch, 1,775 facilities have signed up to participate. “While this day highlights the importance of screening, the ultimate goal is to make lung cancer screening a routine, year-round priority,” Carlisle adds.

By Chad Hudnall, senior writer, ACR Press

For information about the Lung Cancer Screening Education Module accreditation, please contact the ACR. If you have questions or comments about this article, please contact the author, Chad Hudnall.