Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41915394›Full record

Trial reportJAMA network open2026

Significant Incidental Findings in the National Lung Screening Trial and Diagnosis of Extrapulmonary Cancer.

Ilana F Gareen, Roee Gutman, Maryanne Thangarajah, Amal N Trivedi, Tina D Tailor, Efren Flores, Caroline Chiles, JoRean Sicks, Richard M Hoffman

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in JAMA network open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Ilana F GareenDepartment of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island.
Roee GutmanCenter for Biostatistics and Health Data Science, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island.
Maryanne ThangarajahCenter for Biostatistics and Health Data Science, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island.
Amal N TrivediDepartment of Health Services, Policy and Practice, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island.
Tina D TailorDivision of Cardiothoracic Radiology, Department of Radiology, Duke Health, Durham, North Carolina.
Efren FloresDepartment of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.
Caroline ChilesDepartment of Radiology, Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
JoRean SicksCenter for Biostatistics and Health Data Science, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island.
Richard M HoffmanDepartment of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Importance: Significant incidental findings (SIFs) not related to lung cancer have been widely reported in patients undergoing lung cancer screening with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT). It is unclear whether SIFs are associated with extrapulmonary cancer diagnoses. Objective: To examine the association between an SIF considered to be potentially indicative of extrapulmonary cancer (cancer SIF) detected at LDCT lung cancer screening and diagnosis of an extrapulmonary cancer within 1 year of the screen. Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective cohort study analyzed data from National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) participants. The NLST participants were randomly assigned to either LDCT or chest radiography to determine whether LDCT was associated with a reduction in lung cancer mortality compared with chest radiography alone. Participants aged 55 to 74 years were recruited between August 2002 and April 2004. They received up to 3 rounds of screening and were followed up for 5 to 7 years. The study concluded December 31, 2009. This analysis was restricted to participants in the LDCT arm and was conducted between June and December 2025. Exposure: Detection of a cancer SIF (ie, SIF potentially indicative of a cancer) at any lung cancer screening round in the NLST. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was diagnosis of an extrapulmonary cancer within 1 year of a screening round. Extrapulmonary cancers were classified using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program organ system categories. Cancer SIFs were mapped to specific SEER cancer categories. Multilevel logistic regression was used to assess the association between detection of a cancer SIF and diagnosis of an extrapulmonary cancer. Results: The study included 75 104 LDCT screening rounds performed in 26 445 participants (mean [SD] age, 61.4 [5.0] years; 59.0% male). Cancer SIFs were reported for 2265 screening rounds (3.0%) in 1807 participants (6.8%) across the 3 screening rounds. An extrapulmonary cancer was diagnosed following a screening round with a cancer SIF (n = 2265) for 67 participants (3.0%). The marginal risk difference, after covariates and participant-specific adjustments, was 13.89 (95% confidence limit [CL], 7.03-20.75) per 1000 participants. The marginal risk differences were significantly higher for urinary cancers (17.03 [95% CL, 8.55-25.50] per 1000 participants) and other SEER cancer categories, including lymphoma and leukemia (13.83 [95% CL, 3.46-24.21] per 1000 participants). Conclusions and Relevance: This cohort study found that cancer SIFs were associated with an increased risk of an extrapulmonary cancer diagnosis in the year following an LDCT lung cancer screening examination. These findings suggest that certain SIFs should be evaluated as potential indicators of undiagnosed cancers.

Indexed as

Early Detection of CancerIncidental FindingsLung NeoplasmsMass ScreeningTomography, X-Ray ComputedAgedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesUnited States

Identifiers

PMID41915394
PMCPMC13040399

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.