5 things you should know about lung cancer screening
Detecting lung cancer at an earlier stage before symptoms develop is crucial and may increase treatment options and improve outcomes. Understanding the criteria for screening for lung cancer can be helpful.
Lung cancer screening is intended for individuals without symptoms suggestive of lung cancer. Patients with concerning symptoms, such as coughing up blood, persistent or worsening cough, or unexplained weight loss, should receive a diagnostic evaluation rather than routine screening.
Who should be screened?
Lung cancer screening is recommended only for adults who are at high risk for developing the disease because of their smoking history and age, who do not have health conditions that substantially limit their life expectancy or ability or willingness to undergo potentially curative treatment. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends yearly lung cancer screening with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) for people who have a 20 pack-year or more smoking history and smoke now or have quit within the past 15 years and are between 50 and 80 years old.
What’s a pack-year?
A pack-year is the number of packs of cigarettes a person’s smoked per day multiplied by the number of years they have smoked. This is a clinical measurement of cigarette smoking used to estimate a person’s exposure to tobacco. For example, a person with 20 pack-years could have smoked 1 pack a day for 20 years, or 2 packs a day for 10 years, or half a pack a day for 40 years, and so on.
Where should I get my lung screening?
If you believe you are at risk for developing lung cancer, talk to your doctor about whether or not screening is right for you. If your doctor recommends screening, they will order a low-dose CT (LDCT) scan. This scan provides detailed images of the lungs while using substantially less radiation than a standard diagnostic chest CT scan.
What should I know before I go?
Let your physician know if you have a respiratory tract infection. If you have any signs or symptoms of a respiratory tract infection or if you recently recovered from an infection, your doctor may recommend delaying your screening depending on your symptoms, medical history, and whether an infection could affect the interpretation of your scan. Respiratory infections can cause abnormalities on CT scans that might require additional scans or tests to study. Waiting until an infection has improved may help reduce unnecessary follow-up testing in some circumstances, although not all infections require postponement. You may be asked to remove any metal you’re wearing prior to your scan as metals can interfere with the imaging, such as jewelry, glasses, hearing aids and dentures.
Why does technology matter?
A low-dose CT (LDCT) scan has been studied in people who are at higher risk of getting lung cancer (mainly because they smoke or used to smoke). LDCT scans can help find abnormal areas in the lungs that may be cancer. Research has shown that unlike chest x-rays, yearly LDCT scans to screen people who are at a higher risk of lung cancer can save lives. For these people, getting yearly LDCT scans before symptoms start helps lower the risk of dying from lung cancer.
Learn more about lung cancer screening
References
- National Cancer Institute. Physician Data Query (PDQ). Patient Version. Lung Cancer Screening. 2019.
- Aberle DR, Adams AM, Berg CD, et al; National Lung Screening Trial Research Team. Reduced lung-cancer mortality with low-dose computed tomographic screening. N Engl J Med. 2011;365(5):395-409.
- US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). Lung Cancer: Screening.