Editors’ Selections from Relevant Scientific Publications

Breast cancer screening (by Project Pink Blue via Wikimedia Commons)A recent study analyzed the incidence and proportion of interval cancer (IntCa-diagnosis between interval of screening rounds) and screen-detected cancer (ScrCa), stratified by age and estrogen receptor (ER) status. This cohort study followed 527,144 women from Stockholm, Sweden from January 1989 to March 2020. During this time, a total of 29,049 women (5.5%) were diagnosed with breast cancer, of whom 10,631 (2.0%) had ScrCa and 4,369 (0.8%) had IntCa. The proportion of IntCa in screened patients with breast cancer was around 30%, which decreased with older age. Factors associated with an increased risk of IntCa included older age at first childbirth, higher education, use of hormone replacement therapy, and higher mammographic density. Women with IntCa were more likely to have ER–negative cancers (22%) than those with ScrCa (11%). Notably, a family history of ER-negative breast cancer was associated with a 3-fold higher risk of ER-negative IntCa. This study suggests that risk-based, rather than age-based, screening strategies may improve early detection and management of breast cancer.Zhang Y, … Czene K. JAMA Oncol. 2025 Mar 27.CT scan (via Pxhere)Large-scale lung cancer screening using Low-dose CT (LDCT) is effective and practical. Bhamani and colleagues performed LDCT scans on 12,773 smokers aged 55 to 77 from diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds across 329 primary care facilities in the United Kingdom. At the initial screen, lung cancer was diagnosed in approximately 2% of the participants following a positive test result. After 12 months, the LDCT screenings demonstrated a 97% episode sensitivity for detecting lung cancer. Notably, about 80% of the detected cases were at stage I or II-significantly higher than the 30% typically diagnosed at these early stages in England. The researchers estimated that 90% of individuals diagnosed through the program would be able to receive curative treatment, suggesting the feasibility and effectiveness of large-scale LDCT screenings.Bhamani A, … Janes SM. Lancet Oncol. 2025 Mar 25:S1470-2045(25)00082-8.Breath (via IconScout)Electronic noses (eNoses) that measure organic compounds in exhaled breath can accurately detect lung cancer. Working with two outpatient clinics in the Netherlands, Buma and colleagues recruited 364 people who had either radiological or clinical signs of lung cancer. They tested breath samples using a previously published eNose model and then developed a new version specifically tailored to this target population. The original model detected lung cancer 80% of the time overall and 92% of the time in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder. The new eNose model achieved similar accuracy across all participants (83%) but demonstrated higher specificity (63% vs. 51% at 95% sensitivity). It remained accurate regardless of tumor size, location, histology or stage. The researchers estimate that eNose systems could prevent unnecessary invasive procedures in 75% of people with a benign diagnosis, especially if a lung-cancer specific eNose model were developed and combined with imaging diagnostics.Buma AIG, …van den Heuvel MM. Ann Oncol. 2025 Mar 31:S0923-7534(25)00125-5.FIT sample container (by Whispyhistory via Wikimedia Commons)A new study investigated the impact of behavioral interventions-specifically, a deadline and a planning tool-on the return rate of self-sampled fecal immunochemical testing (FIT). Robb and colleagues analyzed data from approximately 40,000 participants in the Scottish Bowel Screening Programme, who were randomized by the presence or absence of a deadline and a problem-solving planning tool. The highest return rate was observed among participants given a 2-week deadline without the planning tool (68%, compared to 66% for the control group). In contrast, the lowest return rate was seen among those who received the planning tool but no deadline (63.2%). These findings demonstrate that simply including a clear deadline in the FIT screening introductory letter can increase timely kit returns, while the planning tool showed no positive effect. This cost-effective intervention could be easily implemented to improve colorectal cancer screening.Robb KA, … Steele RJC. Lancet. 2025 Mar 12:S0140-6736(24)02813-7.