Optimizing Lung Cancer Screening through GP Involvement: The EU-funded SOLACE Project

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among men and women in Europe. The benefit of lung cancer screening (LCS) using low-dose CT is increasingly recognized, as early detection can significantly reduce the risk of lung cancer death among high-risk individuals. However, reaching and screening those most likely to benefit remains a challenge, especially in communities less engaged with healthcare systems. General Practitioners (GPs) are crucial in identifying high-risk individuals, educating them about screening benefits and risks, and facilitating shared decision-making. Despite their pivotal role, GPs face barriers such as limited time or insufficient training. Increased GP involvement has been shown to lead to higher screening uptake and earlier detection of lung cancer, particularly in underserved populations. The EU-funded SOLACE project aims to optimize lung cancer screening programs across EU member states, improve the quality, accessibility, benefit-harm balance and cost effectiveness of these programs. With a consortium of 37 partners from diverse sectors spanning 15 EU countries, SOLACE is the first pan-European network of its kind. In SOLACE, GPs are part of Stakeholder Advisory Board represented by IPCRG and WONCA networks. To address the challenge of reaching eligible participants, SOLACE aims to tackle inequalities in screening access, particularly among under-represented populations such as women and hard-to-reach individuals. The project aims to maximize enrolment of individuals at higher risk of lung cancer due to chronic respiratory disorders (e.g. COPD, lung fibrosis), cancer survivors and post-transplant patients. Pilot projects target gender, deprived populations and pulmonary comorbidities to address disparities observed in current trials. The SOLACE project aims to enhance the role of GPs in lung cancer screening through targeted training and streamlined referral processes to improve early detection rates and reduce lung cancer mortality. The SOLACE Stakeholder Forum encourages engagement from the GP community to support lung cancer screening initiatives. Funding: This project is co-funded under the EU4Health Programme 2021–2027 under grant agreement no. 101101187