Objective:Europeanlungcancerscreeningstudiesusingcomputedtomography(CT)haveshownthatamanagementprotocolbasedonmeasuringlungnodulevolumeandvolumedoublingtime(VDT)ismorespecificforearlylungcancerdetectionthanadiameter-basedprotocol.However,whetherthisalsoappliestoaChinesepopulationisunclear.Theaimofthisstudyistocomparethediagnosticperformanceofavolume-basedprotocolwithadiameter-basedprotocolforlungcancerdetectionandoptimizethenodulemanagementcriteriaforaChinesepopulation.Methods:Thisstudyhasapopulation-based,prospectivecohortdesignandincludes4000participantsfromtheHexidistrictofTianjin,China.Participantswillundergolow-dosechestCTatbaselineandafter1year.Initially,detectedlungnoduleswillbeevaluatedfordiameterandmanagedaccordingtoaroutinediameter-basedprotocol(ClinicalPracticeGuidelineinOncologyforLungCancerScreening,Version2.2018).Subsequently,lungnoduleswillbeevaluatedforvolumeandmanagementwillbesimulatedaccordingtoavolume-basedprotocolandVDT(aEuropeanlungnodulemanagementprotocol).Participantswillbefollowedupfor4yearstoevaluatelungcancerincidenceandmortality.TheprimaryoutcomeisthediagnosticperformanceoftheEuropeanvolume-basedprotocolcomparedtodiameter-basedmanagementregardinglungnodulesdetectedusinglow-doseCT.Results:Thediagnosticperformanceofvolume-anddiameter-basedmanagementforlungnodulesinaChinesepopulationwillbeestimatedandcompared.Conclusions:Throughthestudy,weexpecttoimprovethemanagementoflungnodulesandearlydetectionoflungcancerinChinesepopulations.
