Millions more adults should be screened for lung cancer under new American Cancer Society guidelines
Nearly 5 million additional Americans should undergo lung cancer screening, as per the updated guideline released by the American Cancer Society (ACS) on Wednesday.
this marks the first revision to the screening recommendations in ten years. The ACS now advises annual screening using low-dose computed tomography for individuals between the ages of 50 and 80, both men and women, who are current or former smokers with a 20 pack-year history.
to clarify, a pack-year refers to smoking one pack, equivalent to approximately 20 cigarettes, per day for a year. For example, someone who smoked two packs a day for 10 years or one pack a day for 20 years would have a 20 pack-year history.
computed tomography scans employ X-rays to generate detailed images of the chest, including the lungs. This type of screening can detect abnormal areas in the lungs that could indicate cancer, even before symptoms manifest.
the previous recommendation, dating back to 2013, suggested screening for adults aged 55 to 74 with a smoking history of at least 30 pack-years, encompassing both current smokers and individuals who quit within the past 15 years.
however, the new guidelines indicate that for those who previously smoked, the number of years since quitting is no longer a prerequisite for initiating or discontinuing screening, as stated by the ACS.
while quitting smoking reduces the risk of lung cancer over time compared to continuing the habit, the risk remains higher than that of individuals who have never smoked, the ACS emphasizes.
lung cancer is a prevalent form of cancer among both men and women and accounts for 20 percent of all cancer-related deaths.
recent tobacco control efforts have led to a significant decrease in the death rate; however, lung cancer still proves highly lethal.
the ACS estimates that nearly 240,000 new cases of lung cancer will be diagnosed in 2023, resulting in approximately 127,000 fatalities. Approximately 80 percent of these cases can be attributed to cigarette smoking.
according to the ACS, many lung cancer deaths could be prevented if individuals eligible for lung cancer screening undergo annual testing.
the ACS recommendation now aligns more closely with that of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), an independent panel of medical experts. The USPSTF advises annual low-dose computed tomography lung cancer screening for adults aged 50 to 80 with a 20 pack-year smoking history.
since the USPSTF supports this form of screening, most insurers are obligated to cover it without imposing cost-sharing on patients. However, it's important to note that the USPSTF's recommendation only extends to current smokers or individuals who quit smoking within the past 15 years.
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