04/01/2026 | Lígia Formenti | Jota

https://www.jota.info/saude/inca-anuncia-estudo-sobre-rastreamento-de-cancer-de-pulmao-no-sus 

The results will be used to identify the possibility of developing a national guideline for detecting the disease.

The National Cancer Institute (INCA) will conduct a groundbreaking study to implement a lung cancer screening program in the Unified Health System (SUS). The results will be used to identify the possibility of developing a national guideline for detecting the disease, the leading cause of cancer death in Brazil.

INCA estimates indicate that the country will have approximately 35,380 new cases of lung cancer per year in the period 2026–2028, with approximately 18,730 cases in men and 16,650 in women.

The death toll is also significant. The high mortality rate is associated with late diagnosis. The general director of INCA (National Cancer Institute), Roberto Gil, notes that 85% of cases are identified at an advanced stage. “At INCA, 50% of patients do not begin treatment because they have already missed the window of opportunity,” observed the director during the research launch ceremony in Rio.

Funded by AstraZeneca and conducted in partnership with the Rio Municipal Health Department, the study is expected to last two years. During this period, 397 people will be monitored. Volunteers will be recruited from the Smoking Cessation Program of the Rio Municipal Health Department.

The choice is not accidental. Approximately 85% of lung cancer cases are associated with the consumption of tobacco products. To participate in the study, volunteers must fit a specific profile: be between 50 and 80 years old, smokers or former smokers who have quit smoking in the last 15 years, without a cancer diagnosis or symptoms related to the disease, such as coughing up blood or difficulty breathing.

When selecting volunteers, the research should also analyze the reasons why patients do not want to undergo screening, something that could also provide important answers about the volunteers' behavior.

The screening will be done with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT). The test will have variable frequency. For people with a negative result, for example, the exam will be annual. Depending on the result, the patient's referral will be defined. In case of a positive diagnosis, patients will be treated at one of the INCA (Brazilian National Cancer Institute) units.

Gustavo Prado, representative of the Alliance to Combat Lung Cancer in Brazil, believes that the initiative will be essential to know which actions are feasible in real-life scenarios. "Certainly, the work will provide important data for decision-makers," he said.

Gil highlights that the study will have a special focus on screening in Rio de Janeiro, a state with a high prevalence of tuberculosis, a disease that causes lung reactions that can be confused, in imaging analysis, with tumor formations. He notes that the fact that the research is being conducted in the city, precisely because of this particularity, helps to have a more accurate idea of ​​the budgetary impact that such a strategy could achieve. “The need identified here may be the parameter for the necessary budget ceiling, due to regional characteristics.”

The director of INCA also observed the importance of the public-private partnership, which will be implemented in this pilot project. “The important thing is transparency and developing transformative projects,” he said. AstraZeneca's medical director, Danilo Lopes, added: “It's a new and interesting way of doing healthcare in Brazil, through partnerships.”

International experiences show that early detection can reduce the proportion of diagnoses in advanced stages from 90% to 30%. A drop in this proportion can significantly improve the prognosis of treatment. As with any disease, the earlier it is identified, the better the chances of successful treatment. It is estimated that early detection has the potential to reduce lung cancer mortality by 20%.

Lopes also stated that a survey is underway, in partnership with the Brazilian Society of Clinical Oncology and the Alliance to Combat Lung Cancer, to identify the country's infrastructure for diagnosis and treatment. "The goal is to identify the response capacity," he said. The CT scanners used for detection already exist in the country. Based on the studies carried out, it will also be possible to identify what is needed to implement a more comprehensive plan. "To assess the need for biopsies and professionals," said the director of INCA.