Feasibility and Uptake of Low-Dose CT Lung Cancer Screening in Kuwait

Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death in Kuwait, where most cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage and there is no national screening program. This prospective pilot feasibility study will offer low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening to approximately 500 high-risk individuals aged 50-80 years across Kuwait. The primary objective is to assess the uptake of, and barriers to, LDCT lung cancer screening in Kuwait and to establish a framework for a national screening program. Participants undergo eligibility assessment (smoking history of at least 20 pack-years, totalled across all tobacco products using pre-specified equivalency conversions for shisha/waterpipe, cigar, pipe, and roll-your-own tobacco), baseline assessment, LDCT screening with Lung-RADS-based management, a second screening round at 12 months, and follow-up. LDCT images are read by radiologists and in parallel by artificial intelligence (AI) software to evaluate AI-assisted reading. Findings will inform national lung cancer screening guidelines for Kuwait.