For people at high risk for lung cancer, deciding whether to get a low-dose CT scan can be hard. A large review looked at how nurse-led shared decision-making helps. This approach lets patients and nurses talk openly about the test, the risks, and the benefits together. It is different from just getting the usual care where a doctor might recommend the test without that extra conversation time.
The review looked at 13,608 participants. When nurses led these conversations, 68% of people said they were willing to participate in the screening. In studies comparing this approach to usual care, the rate of people getting the scan did not change significantly. However, among those who did get the scan, 81% of the results showed benign or low-risk findings. Only 2% of scans found early-stage lung cancer.
The study also found that women were more likely to take up the screening offer, while current smokers were less likely. The researchers noted that most of the data came from single-arm studies, which means we cannot be sure this method is better than usual care. There was a moderate-to-serious risk of bias in the data. This review suggests nurse-led talks are a feasible way to offer screening, but it does not prove they are superior to standard medical advice.