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

27 Mar 2025
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

Resource information

Respiratory conditions
  • Cancer
Type of resource
Abstract
Conference
Brasov 2025
Author(s)
Vlatka Matkovic1, Hans-Ulrich Kauczor2, Oyunbileg von Stackelberg2, Emily Nischwitz2, Joanna Chorostowska-Wynimko3, Monika Hierath4, Coline Mathonier4, Helmut Prosch5, Pamela Zolda5, Marie-Pierre Revel6, 7, Ildikó Horváth8, 9, Martina Koziar Vašáková10, Pippa Powell11, Miroslav Samarzija12, 13, Torsten Gerrit Blum14, Tanel Laisaar15 1Lungs Europe, Brussels, Belgium 2Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany 3Department of Genetics and Clinical Immunology, National Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases, Warsaw, Poland 4European Institute for Biomedical Imaging Research, Vienna, Austria 5Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria 6Department of Radiology, Hôpital Cochin, Paris, France 7Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France 8National Koranyi Institute for Pulmonology, Budapest, Hungary 9Department of Pulmonology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary 10Department of Respiratory Medicine, University Thomayer Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic 11European Lung Foundation, Sheffield, United Kingdom, 12School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia 13Department for Respiratory Diseases Jordanovac, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia 14Department of Pneumology, Lungenklinik Heckeshorn, Helios Klinikum Emil von Behring, Berlin, Germany 15 Lung Clinic, Tartu University Hospital, Tartu, Estonia