Lung cancer often develops without warning, which is why doctors are urging eligible Americans to get screened rather than wait for symptoms to appear. Physicians say the tool already exists to catch the disease early, but most people who qualify for it aren’t using it.
Daniel J. Boffa, M.D., chair of the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer and a thoracic surgeon at Yale University, told Fox News Digital that lung cancer screening is “one of the most powerful ways” to improve survival. “It reduces the chance of people dying of lung cancer by 20%,” he said.
Despite that, Boffa estimates the gap between who is eligible and who actually gets screened amounts to “tens of thousands of preventable deaths every year.”
Who Current Guidelines Cover
The American Cancer Society recommends an annual low-dose CT scan for adults ages 50 to 80 who currently smoke, have a history of smoking, or have at least a 20 pack-year smoking history. The ACS advises patients to talk with their doctor first about the purpose, process, benefits, limits and possible harms of screening. Current smokers should also be counseled on quitting and offered help doing so.
Screening is not recommended for people whose other health problems would likely limit their lifespan regardless, or for those who would not be able to pursue treatment if cancer were found.
The Gap for Never-Smokers
About one in seven lung cancers occurs in people who have never smoked, yet there is no formal screening guideline for this group. Boffa said identifying who among never-smokers should be screened is an “intense area of research.” For now, he said people with a direct family history of lung cancer, despite never smoking, should consider annual screening, as should higher-risk groups such as Asian women.
“I would anticipate that in the next year or two, we will have better guidance for people who are at risk for lung cancer, but never smoked,” Boffa said.
What the Scan Actually Involves
Boffa said the CT scan takes only a couple of minutes and, unlike an MRI, does not require an enclosed space. “People who get claustrophobic usually don’t have a hard time with lung cancer screening,” he said. Results typically come back within a few days.
Most abnormalities the scan detects turn out to be unrelated to cancer. “The reality is over 99% of nodules are actually benign,” Boffa said, noting that findings are more often infections, scars or inflammation. In about a third of cases, the screening also picks up unrelated issues, such as hardened heart arteries or a nodule elsewhere in the body.
“I think having that conversation ahead of time is really important so that expectations are set,” Boffa said. “It’s not uncommon to find something. Most of the time, it’s not something that’s going to affect how long you live.”
Symptoms to Watch For
Lary Robinson, M.D., an oncologist at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida, told Fox News Digital that early-stage lung cancer typically produces no symptoms at all. When symptoms do appear, the most common involve the lungs: a persistent cough, shortness of breath, or coughing up blood. Unexplained weight loss can accompany any cancer, Robinson noted, and persistent headaches may signal neurological involvement worth a doctor’s attention.
Looking Ahead
Boffa said he expects screening to eventually become simpler. “I’m hoping that within four or five years, a screening CT scan will only be confirmatory after they have a positive blood test done at your doctor’s office,” he said, suggesting such an approach could catch more cases earlier.
He also pushed back against the lingering stigma around a lung cancer diagnosis. “People are really reluctant to be diagnosed with lung cancer because it does carry a stigma,” Boffa said. “For years, there was a reputation that it was a terminal diagnosis. It’s just been amazing what research has done for lung cancer.”
For those over 50 with a smoking history, Boffa said getting screened remains “one of the most powerful things you can do to reduce your chances of having your life shortened by lung cancer.”
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