World Lung Cancer Day on 1 August: Wiener Gesundheitsverbund presents first results of lung cancer early detection programme
On the occasion of World Lung Cancer Day on 1 August, the Wiener Gesundheitsverbund presented the first results of the LEAD-DETECT study, conducted together with the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute (LBI) for Lung Health and Sigmund Freud Private University. The findings demonstrate the potential of a nationwide Austrian lung cancer screening programme for high-risk groups. Detecting lung cancer at an early stage significantly improves treatment options and survival chances.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Austria, accounting for around 19 percent of all cancer deaths. The disease often causes no symptoms in its early stages and is therefore frequently diagnosed only after treatment options have become more limited. Initial results from the LEAD-DETECT programme underline the value of targeted early detection. Among the first 378 participants who underwent low-dose computed tomography (LDCT), 4.7 percent were found to have high-risk lung nodules that were referred for further assessment. The examinations also identified other smoking-related diseases, including emphysema and coronary artery calcifications.
In 2025, the Wiener Gesundheitsverbund treated 6,550 patients with malignant diseases of the respiratory system. According to Marie-Kathrin Breyer, Head of the Department of Respiratory and Lung Diseases at the Penzing site of Klinik Ottakring, Director of the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Lung Health and Principal Investigator of the study, the timing of diagnosis is often decisive for successful treatment. The first LEAD-DETECT results show that a risk-based screening approach can successfully identify people who are most likely to benefit from early diagnosis and represents an important step towards a nationwide screening programme in Austria.
First results confirm the benefits of early detection
Currently, around three quarters of all lung cancer cases are diagnosed only at an intermediate or advanced stage. Early diagnosis substantially improves treatment possibilities and survival prospects.
LEAD-DETECT is Austria's first prospective pilot programme for lung cancer screening. Since autumn 2025, participants in the Vienna LEAD Health Study aged between 50 and 74 years with an elevated individual risk of lung cancer have been invited to undergo low-dose computed tomography.
The first results are encouraging. Of the 378 participants examined so far, 4.7 percent were found to have high-risk lung nodules requiring further diagnostic assessment. In addition, the screening detected other smoking-associated diseases, including emphysema and coronary artery calcifications.
The findings demonstrate that a risk-based screening strategy can effectively identify individuals at increased risk of lung cancer while providing an important scientific foundation for the future implementation of a nationwide lung cancer screening programme in Austria.
Kontakt
Pressesprecherin Wiener Gesundheitsverbund
Mag.a Gabriele Egartner
Telefon: +43 664 8566205
E-Mail: gabriele.egartner@gesundheitsverbund.at