According to an updated guideline issued by the American Cancer Society, an additional 5 million Americans who smoke or used to smoke are advised to undergo annual screenings for lung cancer. These recommendations apply to about 19 million people who would benefit from yearly CT scans, which provide detailed images of the lungs for improved cancer detection at an earlier stage. The new guideline suggests that people continue to get annual scans even if they quit smoking more than 15 years ago, as lung cancer risk still rises as former smokers age. The recommendation also includes people with a less intense smoking history, equivalent to smoking one pack of cigarettes a day for 20 years. The previous guideline applied to those who smoked the equivalent of one pack a day for 30 years.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the US, with about 127,000 deaths expected in 2023, accounting for 20% of all cancer fatalities. Smoking is responsible for about 80% of these cases. The mortality rate for lung cancer has declined thanks to decreased smoking rates, but the health toll remains high. The five-year survival rate for non-small cell lung cancer is 65% for patients in which the cancer has not spread outside the lung, compared to 37% for cancer that has spread to nearby parts of the body or lymph nodes, and only 9% for cancer that has spread to more distant parts of the body.
Experts emphasize the importance of early detection of lung cancer. Screening mammograms are recommended annually for women starting at age 40, and now the American Cancer Society suggests an annual CT scan for people ages 50 to 80 who are at risk for lung cancer. Although lung cancer screening carries some risks, such as false positives and over-diagnosis, the benefits outweigh these risks. However, the uptake of lung cancer screening has been disappointingly low, with only about 10% of eligible individuals receiving the scan. The American Cancer Society hopes to improve these numbers by reminding people to schedule their annual examination.
