Detection of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in community‐based annual lung cancer screening: C hiba Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease L ung C ancer S creening S tudy G roup

Background and objective Detection of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD ) is crucial in the management of COPD . The aim of this study was to establish the utility of a community‐based lung cancer screening for detecting COPD . Methods In J apan, community‐based lung cancer screening for residents who are 40 years or older using chest radiography is well established. A screening system in C hiba C ity, J apan, was used to detect COPD . The criteria to consider COPD at screening included age of 60 years or older, a smoking history and chronic respiratory symptoms. Participants fulfilling these criteria were referred for diagnostic evaluation consisting of pulmonary function testing ( PFT ) and chest computed tomography ( CT ). Results Of 89 100 C hiba C ity residents who underwent lung cancer screening, 72 653 residents were 60 years or older. Among them, 878 (1.0%) were identified with suspected COPD and referred for further evaluation. Of those identified, a total of 567 residents (64.6%, 567/878) underwent further evaluations, and 161 (28.4%) were reported to have COPD , with 38.5% of them requiring COPD treatment. To verify the diagnoses from the secondary evaluation centres, PFT and CT data were collected from 228 study participants, and 24.9% were diagnosed with COPD . CT findings classified according to the Goddard classification revealed that 20.1% of these participants had moderate to severe emphysema. Conclusions COPD screening added to a community‐based lung cancer screening programme may be effective in the detection of patients with COPD .