7 Facts You Should Know About Lung Cancer Screening

#1: Lung cancer is not always fatal

Lung cancer is more successfully treated when detected early.

In the U.S., the average 5-year survival rate for patients with lung cancer is 27%. However, this number changes dramatically when the stage of the disease at the time of diagnosis is considered. If lung cancer is caught before it spreads, the likelihood of surviving 5 years or more improves to 64%. New treatments have also made some lung cancers manageable as a chronic disease, similar to diabetes.

Yet only about 5.8% of eligible adults have received lung cancer screening, despite recommendations for annual low-dose CT screening for high-risk individuals.

#2: Lung cancer screening is critical for former smokers

Low-dose CT scans are used for lung cancer screening and are recommended for smokers and those who have quit if they fall into a “high risk” group.

Yearly CT scans for lung cancer screening may be right for you if you meet all of these requirements:

• Ages 50 to 80 years old
• Have a 20 pack-year or greater smoking history
• Currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years
• Are in good health and able to undergo treatment if cancer is found

#3: Low Dose CT scans for lung cancer screening is safe and easy

CT scans are a recommended method for lung cancer screening in high-risk patients. Lung cancer screening is a preventive health check, like a mammogram or a colonoscopy. CT scans do expose you to some radiation, but it’s about the same amount as you would get from a mammogram. This type of scan uses 75% less radiation than a regular CT scan and does not require any needles.

• CT Scans can find something before you know it’s there and before you have symptoms.
• Chest X-rays should never be used for lung cancer screening.
• People at higher risk may benefit from yearly screening and should talk to their doctor about the possible benefits, limits, and harms of screening.

If you are eligible for a lung cancer screening, the American College of Radiology has a tool that can help you find a lung cancer screening program near you.

#4: Think you’re safe if you’re a non-smoker?

In the US, about 10% to 20% of lung cancers happen in people who never smoked or smoked fewer than 100 cigarettes in their lifetime.

People diagnosed with lung cancer who have never smoked are still the 7th leading cause of all cancer deaths. If you have lungs, then you too can get lung cancer. But if you have a close family history of lung cancer, or have been exposed to substances like radon or asbestos, it’s important to talk with your physician.

The reality is that no one “deserves” lung cancer, and a person’s smoking history is an important part of their medical history, but it is irrelevant to the level of care and concern they receive in the lung cancer community.

#5: If you quit smoking more than 15 years ago, you still carry a risk. But quitting was the right choice.

Although Medicare covers yearly screenings for at-risk patients who are 50 to 80 years old, if you are a former smoker, you should discuss screening with your doctor.

People at high risk include:

• current and former smokers
• those who have quit in the past 15 years and meet other certain criteria
• those who have a 20-year pack history
• people exposed to cancer-causing substances in the workplace
• people who have a personal or family history of lung cancer
• had previous radiation therapy to the chest

#6: That vape cigarette you’re smoking is not necessarily safer.

When you smoke e-cigarettes, you’re still exposed to harmful chemicals like nicotine and formaldehyde. While e-cigarettes may be a safer, less toxic alternative to conventional cigarettes, not enough is known yet about the health effects of e-cigarettes.

#7: Even if you have lung cancer already, you’ll probably do better if you stop smoking.

People who have lung cancer and who do not smoke can have better outcomes. Smoking cessation after an initial diagnosis of lung cancer has been associated with a nearly 30% improvement in overall survival.

Quitting at the same time of diagnosis can:

• Increase your likelihood of survival
• Decrease your risk of developing a second cancer
• Improve your body’s ability to heal from and respond to surgery, chemotherapy, or other treatments
• Lower your risk of pneumonia or respiratory failure
• Improve your quality of life
• Allow you to spend more time at home than in the hospital