By Brittney Nichols, MPH-RN, Senior Specialist, Science and Research, Andrew Ciupek, PhD, Associate Director, Clinical Research, Courtney Granville, PhD, MSPH, Chief Scientific Officer

Receiving a lung cancer diagnosis can be a scary, life-changing experience. While modern medicine has led to the development of many wonderful new lung cancer treatments, it’s still best to catch lung cancer in its early stages. Lung cancer screening is the main way to do this. Read on to learn how lung cancer screening works, who can get screened, and ongoing efforts to make screening even more effective.

How does screening for lung cancer currently work?

While we’ve seen an increase in new blood-based cancer detection tests, screening by low-dose CT (LDCT) scan is the only current FDA-approved way to screen for lung cancer. Lung cancer screening by LDCT has been shown in multiple clinical trials to help find lung cancer early when it is more treatable and reduce overall deaths due to lung cancer.

Getting screened is quick and only takes a couple of minutes. Additionally, for most eligible people, your insurance will cover your screening. Be sure to confirm with your insurance provider if screening will be covered and if you’ll have any co-pays or deductibles. If you think you might be eligible (more below on eligibility), talk with your doctor or primary care provider today!

Who should get screened?

Lung cancer screening by LDCT is currently recommended for people who:

  • Have a 20-pack year smoking history (smoking the equivalent of a pack a day for 20 years or two packs a day for 10 years)
  • Are currently smoking, or have stopped smoking within the last 15 years
  • Are between the ages of 50-80 years old.

These guidelines were created by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) and were updated in 2021 to include a larger age range. Explore our screening page to learn if you’re at risk or eligible, and where your closest LDCT screening center may be.

What is happening in lung cancer screening research?

Currently, LDCT screening is the main way to catch lung cancer early. Ongoing research is helping to identify ways that LDCT screening could be made even more effective and accessible.

  • The TALENT study, which came out of Taiwan in 2021, looked at the benefits of expanded lung cancer screening criteria.
    • The study included 6,000 participants between 55-75 years old who didn’t smoke and had either a family history of lung cancer, secondhand smoke exposure, a diagnosis of COPD/TB, or frequent exposure to certain cooking oils without enough ventilation while cooking.
    • These new screening criteria were found to be very effective, and over 96% of lung cancers identified this way were caught in the early stages.
    • Takeaway: This demonstrates the value of considering familial and environmental factors when calculating risk for screening.
  • At the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting (ASCO) in June, Taiwan reported initial results from implementing a new National Lung Cancer Early Detection Program.
    • This program is noteworthy because it allowed more people to be screened than are currently eligible for screening in places like the United States.
      • People who never smoked or had a very light smoking history could be screened if they had a family history of lung cancer.
      • Additionally, women as young as 45 could be screened if they had a smoking history or a family history of lung cancer.
    • Takeaway: Over its first 18 months, the program was successful at detecting lung cancer at an earlier stage, even among non-smokers with a family history of lung cancer. This may translate to reduced deaths from lung cancer in Taiwan – suggesting that screening based on family history and at earlier ages may be effective.
  • Ongoing research studies are looking into new screen modalities or improvements, such as:
    • Blood-based screening tests for lung and other cancers that would help to reduce the number of people who might need an annual LDCT scan by beginning with a blood test and then elevating to an LDCT screen if needed.
    • Ways to identify individuals for LDCT screening who may be at risk due to work/environmental exposures.
    • How to overcome barriers to getting screened by LDCT (such as cost and transportation).
  • Other research is looking at different ways to identify people for screening. For instance, a cost analysis conducted on the USPSTF’s screening guidelines found that using a risk-based screening model to identify those who should be screened is actually more cost-effective than selecting using the current criteria based just on smoking history and age.

What do we know about lung cancer risk factors?

Tobacco is the most understood risk factor for lung cancer, but other risk factors exist and are increasingly being researched. For instance, family history and genetics are also risk factors, as shown in Taiwan’s Early Lung Cancer Detection Program findings. Several additional variables can also put a person at higher risk. These include:

  • Radon exposure
  • Secondhand smoke exposure
  • Asbestos exposure
  • Environmental factors such as air pollution
  • Arsenic-contaminated drinking water
  • Occupational (work-related) exposure, which can include inhaled chemicals, radiation exposure, and fuel exhaust such as diesel

These risk factors are not currently used to select people for LDCT screening. With further research, we may expand our understanding of who is high-risk and if additional criteria should be used for screening.

Talk to your primary care provider to better understand your personal risk of lung cancer and what they may recommend. If you want to support research aimed at increasing our understanding of lung cancer risk factors, learn more about the INHERIT study on genetic risk factors.

How is lung cancer screening accessibility improving?

Investigators are continuing their research on how to make lung cancer screening easier to access and more effective for all. The American Cancer Society and National Comprehensive Cancer Network have shown their support in this effort by updating their screening guidelines for lung cancer to include a broader range of ages and smoking histories. GO2 partnered with the American College of Radiology and The Society of Thoracic Surgeons to issue joint letters to CMS and the USPSTF to support these changes. Among those listed, we are further advocating for the removal of upper age limits and the removal of years since quitting smoking. We know that screening can save lives; now we’re advocating for recent research to be included so that even more lives can be touched and transformed for the better.

If you or someone you love is at risk for lung cancer, talk to your doctor about screening and download our Understanding Lung Cancer Screening booklet to learn more.