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European Experts Call for Widespread Adoption of Lung Cancer Screening to Enable Early Detection and Life-Saving Surgery

lung cancer screening summit
  • Johnson & Johnson convened experts on lung cancer screening from across Europe at a Summit at the San Camillo Forlanini Hospital in Rome, Italy  
  • Representatives from lung cancer screening programmes around Europe presented evidence that early detection and treatment can significantly reduce mortality from this deadly disease 
  • Summit delegates called for expanded and equitable access to Low Dose CT screening programmes for patients at high risk of lung cancer 

Rome, Italy – August 1st, 2025: Europe’s leading experts on lung cancer screening called for expanded and equitable access to Low Dose CT (LDCT) screening programmes for high-risk populations at a summit in Rome last month.

The Lung Cancer Screening European Expert Summit, supported by an unconditional grant from Johnson & Johnson MedTech, took place on July 9th at the San Camilo Forlanini Hospital, Rome, and was attended by representatives from national and local lung cancer screening programmes in Croatia, Greece, Italy, Poland, Spain and the UK, as well as lung cancer experts, surgeons and patient advocates. 

In Europe, lung cancer ranks as the second most common cancer in men, and the third most common in women, and is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality with approximately 376,000 deaths annually.i One of the main reasons for this is that lung cancer is often diagnosed at a late stage when treatment options are limited and survival is poor.ii  If lung cancer is diagnosed at an early stage, up to 90% of people will survive at least 5 years; if it is diagnosed at a late stage, 5-year survival can be less than 10%.iii 

lung cancer summit‘The evidence clearly shows that early detection of lung cancer through screening programmes saves lives and is cost-effective,’ said Gabriele Fishetto, Managing Director, Johnson & Johnson MedTech in Italy. ‘As a leading voice in lung cancer care, Johnson & Johnson MedTech is working with a broad coalition of stakeholders to build momentum towards the widespread adoption of screening in Europe and beyond. The Lung Cancer Screening European Expert Summit marks another important step in that journey.’ 

The Summit was chaired by Prof. Giuseppe Cardillo, Director of the Thoracic Surgery Department at the San Camillo Forlanini Hospital, and speakers included international experts in the field such as Prof. Ugo Pastorino, Prof. Giulia Veronesi, Prof. Federico Spandonaro, as well as representatives from European patient organizations including Debra Montague, president of Lung Cancer Europe.  

What is the evidence to support lung cancer screening in high-risk populations? 

Delegates at the Summit reviewed evidence from key studies demonstrating that screening high-risk patients – for example long-term heavy smokers or ex-smokers – leads to earlier diagnosis and improved clinical outcomes: 

  • The US National Lung Screening Trial demonstrated that Low Dose CT (LDCT) screening reduced mortality by 20% compared to radiography scansiv 
  • The MILD trial showed a 39% reduction in mortality at 10 years with LDCT scans compared to no scanningv 
  • The NELSON trial demonstrated a 24% reduction in mortality at 10 years with LDCT scans compared to no scanningvi  

Additional evidence and best practices were presented from established local and national screening programmes from around Europe, including from Croatia, Greece, Italy, Poland, Spain and the UK. 

About Johnson & Johnson  

At Johnson & Johnson, we believe health is everything. Our strength in healthcare innovation empowers us to build a world where complex diseases are prevented, treated, and cured, where treatments are smarter and less invasive, and solutions are personal. Through our expertise in Innovative Medicine and MedTech, we are uniquely positioned to innovate across the full spectrum of healthcare solutions today to deliver the breakthroughs of tomorrow, and profoundly impact health for humanity. Learn more about our MedTech sector’s global scale and deep expertise in cardiovascular, orthopaedics, surgery and vision solutions at J&JMedTech. Follow us at @JNJMedTech and on LinkedIn.

© Johnson & Johnson and its affiliates 2025, EM_SRG_ALLS_404061

i. Ferlay J, Ervik M, Lam F, Laversanne M, Colombet M, Mery L, Piñeros M, Znaor A, Soerjomataram I, Bray F (2024). Global Cancer Observatory: Cancer Today (version 1.1). Lyon, France: International Agency for Research on Cancer. Available from: https://gco.iarc.who.int/today. Accessed July 25, 2025

ii. World Health Organization. Lung Cancer. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/lung-cancer. Accessed July 25, 2025

iii. Ning J, Ge T, Jiang M, et al. Early diagnosis of lung cancer: which is the optimal choice?. Aging (Albany NY). 2021;13(4):6214-6227. doi:10.18632/aging.202504

iv. National Lung Screening Trial Research Team, Aberle DR, Adams AM, et al. Reduced lung-cancer mortality with low-dose computed tomographic screening. N Engl J Med. 2011;365(5):395-409. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1102873

v. Pastorino U, Silva M, Sestini S, et al. Prolonged lung cancer screening reduced 10-year mortality in the MILD trial: new confirmation of lung cancer screening efficacy. Ann Oncol. 2019;30(7):1162-1169. doi:10.1093/annonc/mdz117

vi. de Koning HJ, van der Aalst CM, de Jong PA, et al. Reduced Lung-Cancer Mortality with Volume CT Screening in a Randomized Trial. N Engl J Med. 2020;382(6):503-513. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1911793