Estimated read time: 4-5
minutes
WASHINGTON — The American Cancer Society has updated its guideline for lung cancer screening, recommending that nearly 5 million additional people get screened. The new guideline includes older adults who smoke or formerly smoked, regardless of how long ago they quit smoking. Previously, the recommendation was for annual screening for adults ages 55 to 74 with at least a 30 pack-year smoking history who either currently smoke or quit less than 15 years ago. The updated guideline now includes current or past smokers, ages 50 to 80, with at least a 20 pack-year smoking history. The American Cancer Society also advises against using the number of years since quitting smoking as a criteria for lung cancer screening.
In its updated guideline, published in the CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, the American Cancer Society estimates that its new recommendation will lead to a 21% decrease in lung cancer deaths compared to the current guidelines. The organization emphasizes that the risk of lung cancer continues to increase for individuals in their 60s and above, making it crucial to continue screening during this time period.
Surveys from the 1940s showed that about half of all adults in America were smokers. However, smoking rates have declined significantly since then, with only 11% of adults reporting as current cigarette smokers according to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Broadening screening eligibility
By expanding its screening recommendations, the American Cancer Society aims to increase the number of lung cancer deaths prevented. The previous guideline was updated in 2013, but the main difference in the current recommendation is the elimination of the “year-since-quit” factor. Now, individuals with a 20 pack-year or greater smoking history between the ages of 50 and 80, and in reasonably good health, are eligible for screening according to the new guidelines.
It’s important to note that the American Cancer Society is not the only organization providing cancer screening recommendations. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force also issues its own guidelines, which suggest annual lung cancer screening for adults ages 50 to 80 with a 20 pack-year smoking history who currently smoke or quit within the past 15 years.
Dr. Matthew Triplette, a pulmonologist and cancer prevention researcher, believes that the American Cancer Society’s updated guidelines reflect newer modeling evidence that supports continued screening for individuals with a heavy smoking history, even if they have quit for 15 years or more. He also notes that only a small percentage of eligible individuals in the United States have been screened for lung cancer.
