Who Should Be Screened for Lung Cancer?

This study included more than 50,000 people aged 55 to 74 who were current or former smokers with at least a 30 pack-year history of smoking (equal to smoking a pack a day for 30 years, or 2 packs a day for 15 years) and who had not quit more than 15 years ago. The NLST found that people who got low-dose CT had a 16% lower chance of dying from lung cancer than those who got chest x-rays. However, some other trials have not found a benefit from screening. The screening in the NLST was done at large teaching hospitals with access to a lot of medical specialists and comprehensive follow-up care. Most were National Cancer Institute cancer centers. None of the studies included people who never smoked. Although non-smokers can develop lung cancer, there is not enough evidence to know whether screening them would be helpful or harmful. Likewise, it is not known if screening would help people who were lighter smokers than those in the studies, or those of different ages. That’s why the American Cancer Society guideline doesn’t recommend screening for these groups. High-risk patients should consider getting screened Because of the risks associated with low-dose CT scanning, and the possibility of doing more harm than good for people who are less likely to have lung cancer, the American Cancer Society recommends doctors discuss screening with people who are at high risk for developing the disease and help them make an informed decision about whether to get screened. If peop...
Source: American Cancer Society :: News and Features - Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: Prevention/Early Detection Lung Cancer - Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer - Small Cell Source Type: news