Study Offers New Insights On Patient Care And Lung Cancer Surveillance Rates

Despite recommendations for posttreatment surveillance successful lung crab patients, location is wide variability successful nan follow-up attraction that lung crab patients receive. A caller study, led by elder author Leah Backhus, MD, MPH, Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery (Thoracic Surgery) successful the Stanford Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, offers caller insights connected diligent attraction and lung crab surveillance rates.

The study, titled, Adherence to Posttreatment Surveillance Guidelines successful Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC): Retrospective Cohort Study, was published October 2025 successful the Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) Cancer. Its nonsubjective was to analyse posttreatment surveillance to estimate nan existent surveillance rates and predictors of guideline-concordant attraction successful patients pinch early-stage NSCLC. 

The retrospective study examined 1,888 Veterans pinch shape I to III non-small compartment lung crab who survived for ≥ 6 months pursuing curative treatment. As Chief of Thoracic Surgery astatine nan Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Dr. Backhus utilized robust information sources astatine nan VA to pass her studies. The database of oncology information includes broad crab variables, objective data, and radiology matter reports. Radiology reports were examined utilizing a caller hybrid attack for objective abstraction which combines some computerized hunt methods and manual reappraisal for strict objective validation.

In nan study, we estimated nan cumulative probability of receiving guideline-concordant surveillance, defined arsenic thorax computed tomography imaging wrong 4 to 9 months aft treatment, accounting for competing risks and censoring."

Dr. Leah Backhus, MD, MPH, Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery (Thoracic Surgery), Stanford Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery

The squad developed a competing consequence model to picture nan patterns and predictors of imaging surveillance for NSCLC. This attack allowed researchers to usage a multivariable cause-specific Cox regression to estimate associations betwixt diligent factors and guideline-concordant surveillance and to separate betwixt imaging ordered for surveillance versus imaging ordered for symptoms of recurrence.

"By applying this unsocial usage of a competing consequence framework, we discovered nan complaint of line concordant surveillance successful this nationalist cohort was little than what has been reported successful galore erstwhile studies," said Dr. Backhus. She further noted that location is simply a request to create businesslike strategies to show nan complaint of guideline-concordant surveillance arsenic good arsenic a request to amended diligent acquisition and wellness attraction master defense to amended posttreatment care.

These findings uncover a perchance important spread successful surveillance among asymptomatic lung crab survivors. While much investigation is needed, it could thief early generations of NSCLC patients person amended surveillance aft crab treatment.

Dr. Backhus precocious presented findings related to this work on surveillance aft lung crab treatment, discussing nan existent authorities of surveillance, roadblocks, and adjacent steps successful lung crab surveillance research.

Dr. Backhus is nan Thelma and Henry Doelger Professor of Cardiovascular Surgery astatine Stanford. She co-directs the Stanford Thoracic Surgery Clinical Research Program, which uses a assortment of wellness services investigation methodologies geared towards assessing nan value and effectiveness of thoracic surgical interventions for individual patients arsenic good arsenic population-based research.

The insubstantial features respective authors affiliated pinch nan department, including first author Ryan Randle, MD, and co-author Nicole Lin, MD, who are some erstwhile fellows successful nan division's Thoracic Surgery Clinical Research Program. The publication is simply a collaboration pinch researchers from nan Stanford Departments of Radiology and Medicine, nan University of Washington, nan VA Palo Alto Health Care System, and nan VA Puget Sound Health Care System.