European lung cancer screening: valuable trial evidence for optimal practice implementation

: Lung cancer screening (LCS) by low-dose computed tomography is a strategy for secondary prevention of lung cancer. In the last two decades, LCS trials showed several options to practice secondary prevention in association with primary prevention, however, the translation from trial to practice is everything but simple. In 2020, the European Society of Radiology and European Respiratory Society published their joint statement paper on LCS. This commentary aims to provide the readership with detailed description about hurdles and potential solutions that could be encountered in the practice of LCS

Fully automated calcium scoring predicts all-cause mortality at 12 years in the MILD lung cancer screening trial.

Coronary artery calcium (CAC) is a known risk factor for cardiovascular (CV) events and mortality but is not yet routinely evaluated in low-dose computed tomography (LDCT)-based lung cancer screening (LCS). The present analysis explored the capacity of a fully automated CAC scoring to predict 12-year mortality in the Multicentric Italian Lung Detection (MILD) LCS trial. The study included 2239 volunteers of the MILD trial who underwent a baseline LDCT from September 2005 to January 2011, with a median follow-up of 190 months. The CAC score was measured by a commercially available fully automated artificial intelligence (AI) software and stratified into five strata: 0, 1-10, 11-100, 101-400, and > 400. Twelve-year all-cause mortality was 8.5% (191/2239) overall, 3.2% with CAC = 0, 4.9% with CAC = 1-10, 8.0% with CAC = 11-100, 11.5% with CAC = 101-400, and 17% with CAC > 400. In Cox proportional hazards regression analysis, CAC > 400 was associated with a higher 12-year all-cause mortality both in a univariate model (hazard ratio, HR, 5.75 [95% confidence interval, CI, 2.08-15.92] compared to CAC = 0) and after adjustment for baseline confounders (HR, 3.80 [95%CI, 1.35-10.74] compared to CAC = 0). All-cause mortality significantly increased with increasing CAC (7% in CAC ≤ 400 vs. 17% in CAC > 400, Log-Rank p-value 400 (Grey's test p 400 predicted 12-year non-cancer mortality in a univariate model (sub-distribution hazard ratio, SHR, 10.62 [95% confidence interval, CI, 1.43-78.98] compared to CAC = 0), but the association was no longer significant after adjustment for baseline confounders. In conclusion, fully automated CAC scoring was effective in predicting all-cause mortality at 12 years in a LCS setting

Automated Coronary Artery Calcium and Quantitative Emphysema in Lung Cancer Screening: Association With Mortality, Lung Cancer Incidence, and Airflow Obstruction

Purpose: To assess automated coronary artery calcium (CAC) and quantitative emphysema (percentage of low attenuation areas [%LAA]) for predicting mortality and lung cancer (LC) incidence in LC screening. To explore correlations between %LAA, CAC, and forced expiratory value in 1 second (FEV1) and the discriminative ability of %LAA for airflow obstruction. Materials and methods: Baseline low-dose computed tomography scans of the BioMILD trial were analyzed using an artificial intelligence software. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to estimate the predictive value of %LAA and CAC. Harrell C-statistic and time-dependent area under the curve (AUC) were reported for 3 nested models (Modelsurvey: age, sex, pack-years; Modelsurvey-LDCT: Modelsurvey plus %LAA plus CAC; Modelfinal: Modelsurvey-LDCT plus selected confounders). The correlations between %LAA, CAC, and FEV1 and the discriminative ability of %LAA for airflow obstruction were tested using the Pearson correlation coefficient and AUC-receiver operating characteristic curve, respectively. Results: A total of 4098 volunteers were enrolled. %LAA and CAC independently predicted 6-year all-cause (Modelfinal hazard ratio [HR], 1.14 per %LAA interquartile range [IQR] increase [95% CI, 1.05-1.23], 2.13 for CAC ≥400 [95% CI, 1.36-3.28]), noncancer (Modelfinal HR, 1.25 per %LAA IQR increase [95% CI, 1.11-1.37], 3.22 for CAC ≥400 [95%CI, 1.62-6.39]), and cardiovascular (Modelfinal HR, 1.25 per %LAA IQR increase [95% CI, 1.00-1.46], 4.66 for CAC ≥400, [95% CI, 1.80-12.58]) mortality, with an increase in concordance probability in Modelsurvey-LDCT compared with Modelsurvey (P<0.05). No significant association with LC incidence was found after adjustments. Both biomarkers negatively correlated with FEV1 (P<0.01). %LAA identified airflow obstruction with a moderate discriminative ability (AUC, 0.738). Conclusions: Automated CAC and %LAA added prognostic information to age, sex, and pack-years for predicting mortality but not LC incidence in an LC screening setting. Both biomarkers negatively correlated with FEV1, with %LAA enabling the identification of airflow obstruction with moderate discriminative ability

Approach to diffuse lung diseases: dilemmas, pitfalls and tips

Diffuse parenchymal lung diseases (DPLDs) represent a large and heterogenous group of lung disorders, characterized by a variable degree of inflammation and/or fibrosis of the pulmonary parenchyma. Owing to the relatively small number and non-specific parenchymal manifestations of such a complex group of diseases, a systematic approach to the high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) images is of paramount importance to avoid overlooking and misinterpretation of both main and ancillary findings. Imaging, however, might not be sufficient to establish a definite diagnosis, and thus the integration with clinical and histologic data is often required. This review article summarized a practical approach to DPLDs, emphasizing the importance of adopting an adequate HRCT technique, recognizing and reporting both pulmonary and extrapulmonary signs. The role of imaging in the context of the multidisciplinary approach is also discussed

Cytisine Therapy Improved Smoking Cessation in the Randomized Screening and Multiple Intervention on Lung Epidemics Lung Cancer Screening Trial

Introduction: Cytisine, a partial agonist-binding nicotine acetylcholine receptor, is a promising cessation interven-tion. We conducted a single-center, randomized, controlled trial (RCT) in Italy to assess the efficacy and tolerability of cytisine as a smoking cessation therapy among lung cancer screening participants. Methods: From July 2019 to March 2020, the Screening and Multiple Intervention on Lung Epidemics RCT enrolled 869 current heavy tobacco users in a low-dose computed to-mography screening program, with a randomized compar-ison of pharmacologic intervention with cytisine plus counseling (N = 470) versus counseling alone (N = 399). The primary outcome was continuous smoking abstinence at 12 months, biochemically verified through carbon mon-oxide measurement.Results: At the 12-month follow-up, the quit rate was 32.1% (151 participants) in the intervention arm and 7.3% (29 participants) in the control arm. The adjusted OR of continuous abstinence was 7.2 (95% confidence interval: 4.6-11.2). Self-reported adverse events occurred more frequently in the intervention arm (399 events among 196 participants) than in the control arm (230 events among 133 participants, p < 0.01). The most common adverse events were gastrointestinal symptoms, comprising abdominal swelling, gastritis, and constipation.Conclusions: The efficacy and safety observed in the Screening and Multiple Intervention on Lung Epidemics RCT indicate that cytisine, a very low-cost medication, is a useful treatment option for smoking cessation and a feasible strategy to improve low-dose computed tomography screening outcomes with a potential benefit for all-cause mortality.(c) 2022 International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer. Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Diagnosis of alcohol use disorder from a psychological point of view

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is one of the most common psychiatric disease in the general population, characterized by having a pattern of excessive drinking despite the negative effects of alcohol on the individual's work, medical, legal, educational, and/or social life. Currently, the bio-psycho-social model describes properly AUD as a multidimensional phenomenon including biological, psychological, and socio-cultural variables affecting the nature, maintenance, and expression of the disorder. The AUD diagnostic process is crucial since the treatment success depends heavily on the accuracy and the adequacy of the diagnosis. The diagnosis is based on a comprehensive assessment of the patient's characteristics and uses interviews and psychometric instruments for collecting information. This paper will provide insights into the most important psychological dimensions of AUD and on the best psychometric instruments for proposing AUD diagnosis