Alsuhim Ghaida, Alwabel Razan, Alshaikhi Thuraya, AlAnazi Yaseer, Alsudairy Njood
General Practice, King Khalid University, Abha, SAU.
General Practice, King Faisal University, Hofuf, SAU.
Cureus. 2025 Apr 29;17(4):e83178. doi: 10.7759/cureus.83178. eCollection 2025 Apr.
Background Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, primarily driven by smoking. Although low-dose computed tomography screening effectively reduces lung cancer mortality through early detection, participation in screening programs remains low, particularly among high-risk populations. In Saudi Arabia, data on barriers to screening uptake are limited. This study aimed to identify and evaluate the barriers to timely lung cancer screening among high-risk individuals in Saudi Arabia, including awareness levels, access issues, personal attitudes, and perceived obstacles. Methodology A cross-sectional survey was administered between January and March 2025 to high-risk individuals in Saudi Arabia, defined by either a smoking history or a family history of lung cancer. Participants were recruited from multiple healthcare centers using convenience sampling. The survey assessed demographic information, knowledge and awareness of screening, perceived barriers, access to services, and attitudes toward screening. Results Of the 200 participants, 112 (56.0%) were male and 88 (44.0%) were female. Full awareness of lung cancer screening programs was reported by 72 (36.0%) participants, while 63 (31.5%) were unaware. Key reported barriers included lack of awareness (28.0%, n = 56), high screening cost (20.5%, n = 41), and fear of results (18.0%, n = 36). A total of 149 (74.5%) participants indicated willingness to undergo screening if it were free. Difficulty accessing screening services was reported by 49 (24.5%) participants, and 20 (10.0%) stated screening was not available in their area. Regarding stigma, 44 (22.0%) participants believed it negatively influenced screening uptake. Most respondents (54.5%, n = 109) viewed regular screening for high-risk individuals as very important. Suggested supports to improve screening included more awareness campaigns (43.0%, n = 86) and financial subsidies (31.5%, n = 63). Conclusions This study highlights significant barriers to lung cancer screening among high-risk populations in Saudi Arabia, including limited awareness, fear of diagnosis, cost, and access challenges. Interventions such as national awareness campaigns, cost reduction strategies, mobile screening units, and stigma mitigation are essential to improve screening uptake and reduce lung cancer mortality in the region.
肺癌是全球癌症相关死亡的主要原因，主要由吸烟导致。尽管低剂量计算机断层扫描筛查通过早期检测有效降低了肺癌死亡率，但筛查项目的参与率仍然很低，尤其是在高危人群中。在沙特阿拉伯，关于筛查接受障碍的数据有限。本研究旨在识别和评估沙特阿拉伯高危个体及时进行肺癌筛查的障碍，包括知晓水平、获取问题、个人态度和感知到的障碍。
于2025年1月至3月对沙特阿拉伯的高危个体进行了一项横断面调查，高危个体定义为有吸烟史或肺癌家族史。采用便利抽样从多个医疗中心招募参与者。该调查评估了人口统计学信息、对筛查的知识和知晓情况、感知到的障碍、服务获取情况以及对筛查的态度。
在200名参与者中，112名（56.0%）为男性，88名（44.0%）为女性。72名（36.0%）参与者表示完全知晓肺癌筛查项目，而63名（31.5%）并不知晓。报告的主要障碍包括缺乏知晓（28.0%，n = 56）、筛查成本高（20.5%，n = 41）以及对结果的恐惧（18.0%，n = 36）。共有149名（74.5%）参与者表示如果筛查免费愿意接受筛查。49名（24.5%）参与者报告获取筛查服务困难，20名（10.0%）表示其所在地区没有筛查服务。关于耻辱感，44名（22.0%）参与者认为这对筛查接受有负面影响。大多数受访者（54.5%，n = 109）认为对高危个体进行定期筛查非常重要。建议的改善筛查的支持措施包括更多的宣传活动（43.0%，n = 86）和财政补贴（31.5%，n = 63）。
本研究突出了沙特阿拉伯高危人群中肺癌筛查的重大障碍，包括知晓有限、对诊断的恐惧、成本和获取挑战。开展全国性宣传活动、成本降低策略、移动筛查单位以及减轻耻辱感等干预措施对于提高该地区的筛查接受率和降低肺癌死亡率至关重要。
