Lung Cancer Screening After Pneumonia: Is It Necessary?

Should patients receive follow-up chest imaging to screen for unrecognized lung cancer after being diagnosed with pneumonia? This practice is recommended by many physicians but there is little evidence behind it. To fill this knowledge gap, researchers from the Veterans Evidence Based Research Dissemination and Implementation Center (VERDICT) program, San Antonio, TX and the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA conducted a retrospective review of data from VHA administrative databases to assess the frequency with which pulmonary malignancy (either primary lung cancer or pulmonary metastasis) was diagnosed following hospitalization for pneumonia in patients aged 65 years or older.