Lung Cancer Screening — SCE Respiratory MCQ

Correct answer: D — NHS risk assessment, followed by low-dose CT every 2 years if high risk

The correct answer is D. NHS targeted lung cancer screening identifies current or former smokers aged 55–74 from GP records and performs an individual lung-cancer risk assessment. Low-dose CT is offered only if the person meets the high-risk threshold; if the scan shows neither cancer nor a nodule requiring surveillance, screening is repeated every 2 years while the person remains eligible. Having stopped smoking 5 years ago does not exclude him because the initial cohort includes anyone who has smoked. Chest radiography is not an effective screening strategy, and a single low-dose CT does not constitute the NHS screening pathway. Annual screening through age 80 using pack-year and time-since-quitting criteria describes US USPSTF practice, not current UK practice. New symptoms would require diagnostic assessment rather than waiting for screening.

Reference: Department of Health and Social Care and UK National Screening Committee. Equality impact assessment: screening for lung cancer, sections ‘Intended aims of the analysis’ and ‘Background information about screening’, 2025. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/lung-cancer-screening-equality-impact-assessment/equality-impact-assessment-screening-for-lung-cancer