Evaluating the effectiveness of low-dose CT based lung cancer screening among high-risk individuals and availability and impact of lung cancer care pathways

The GLOBOCAN 2022 report for India, suggests lung cancer as the second most frequent cancer in males, with a case count at 58,970 forming 8.5% of the entire cancer burden for males in India. Upon including females, lung cancer still figures in the top five (ranked 4th) most frequent cancers in the country with 81,748 cases which is 5.8% of the entire case load of cancer in India. LDCT is the only test to screen for lung cancer recommended by various associations including USPSTF for the high-risk smokers in 50-80 years. There is no conclusive data on the efficacy of LDCT in screening lung cancer in the Indian population and the care pathways which might exist for individuals so diagnosed. There is a severe lack of evidence in accounting for the utility of LDCT in screening lung cancer in India, which is largely formed by underpowered retrospective results. This study will employ a prospective, cohort design in order to evaluate the efficacy of LDCT screening for lung cancer in a high-risk Indian population. The subject will receive a relevant and prompt Multidisciplinary team (MDT) referral if any LDCT scan is found to raise suspicions for cancer. The effective management of lung cancer relies heavily on timely diagnosis, streamlined care pathways and coordinated multidisciplinary treatment approaches. This project also aims to systematically evaluate the existence or absence of formalized care pathways for lung cancer patients within the Indian healthcare system, as part of a broader initiative assessing LDCT screening utility. The project will explore the current referral systems, diagnostic workflows, multidisciplinary team involvement, treatment initiation processes, and follow-up mechanisms. By mapping these pathways, the study will identify key bottlenecks, gaps, and regional disparities affecting patient journeys from suspicion or diagnosis through treatment and survivorship