Abstract
The long-term effects of lung cancer computed tomography (CT) screening on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) have not yet been investigated.
In the Dutch–Belgian Randomised Lung Cancer Screening Trial (NELSON trial), 1,466 participants received questionnaires before randomisation (T0), 2 months after baseline screening (screen group only; T1) and at 2-yr follow-up (T2). HRQoL was measured as generic HRQoL (12-item short-form questionnaire and EuroQoL questionnaire), anxiety (Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) and lung cancer-specific distress (impact of event scale (IES)). Repeated measures of ANOVA were used to analyse differences between the screen and control groups, and between indeterminate (requiring a follow-up CT) and negative screening result groups.
At T0 and T2 there were no significant differences in HRQoL scores over time between the screen and control groups, or between the indeterminate or negative second-round screening result group. There was a temporary increase in IES scores after an indeterminate baseline result (T0: mean 4.0 (95% CI 2.8–5.3); T1: mean 7.8 (95% CI 6.5–9.0); T2: mean 4.5 (95% CI 3.3–5.8)).
At 2-yr follow-up, the HRQoL of screened subjects was similar to that of control subjects, the unfavourable short-term effects of an indeterminate baseline screening result had resolved and an indeterminate result at the second screening round had no impact on HRQoL.
Footnotes
Support Statement
This study was supported by the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMw; grant numbers 22000130 and 120610015), the Dutch Cancer Society (KWF; grant number EMCR 2001–2371) and the Health Insurance Innovation Foundation (Innovatiefonds Zorgverzekeraars). The funding sources had no involvement in our work.
Clinical Trial
The NELSON trial is registered at www.trialregister.nl (identifier number ISRCTN63545820).
Statement of Interest
None declared.
- Received August 3, 2010.
- Accepted October 30, 2010.
- ©ERS 2011