Changes could impact an additional 5 million people at higher risk for lung cancer 

WASHINGTON, July 9, 2024 – In its ongoing public health partnership, GO2 for Lung Cancer, the American College of Radiology (ACR) and The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) again joined together to advocate for expanded access to lung cancer screening. The societies formally urged the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Coverage and Analysis Group (CMS) to align their recommendations for lung cancer screening with the recently published evidence-based guidelines by the American Cancer Society and the National Comprehensive Care Network. 

The organizations jointly sent letters to USPSTF and CMS emphasizing the need to eliminate the exclusion criteria based on the number of years since quitting smoking, as well as the upper age limits for lung cancer screening (age 80 for USPTF and age 77 for CMS).

The letters also emphasize the need for the agencies to “prioritize and expedite the review and update process for low-dose CT lung cancer screening.” In the Medicare letter, the groups also ask for CMS to “address the statutorily defined benefit category.”

“Expediting these changes based on the recommendations from a leading evidence-based study translates to lifesaving benefits for millions more people,” said Laurie Ambrose, president and CEO of GO2 for Lung Cancer. “This has been a constant position of our partnership for years, and we remain committed to expanding access to screening by ensuring this critical policy change happens.”

“The medical evidence on lung cancer screening and detection continues to evolve. The Society of Thoracic Surgeons urges the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and U.S. Preventive Services Taskforce to routinely review the best evidence available and update their guidelines accordingly,” said STS President Jennifer Romano, MD, MS. “Eliminating the upper age and years since quit restrictions would improve outcomes for millions. We strongly support this change.” 

“Eliminating both the years-since-quit criterion and the upper-age screening limit, as supported by the American Cancer Society and National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines, would enable millions more individuals to access lung cancer screening,” said Ella Kazerooni, MD, MS, FACR, vice chair of the American College of Radiology Commission on Quality and Safety and member of the ACR Lung Cancer Screening 2.0 Steering committee. “It is vital to screen more people at high risk for lung cancer annually to significantly reduce deaths from lung cancer. We will continue to advocate with GO2 for Lung Cancer and The Society of Thoracic Surgeons to improve lung cancer screening eligibility requirements and save more lives.” 

Lung cancer is the single largest cancer killer and accounts for about one in five of all cancer deaths. It claims more lives than breast, ovarian, and prostate cancers combined. More than 230,000 people will learn they have lung cancer this year, and 20 percent of those never smoked. A staggering number of Americans die from this disease that is preventable, treatable, and even curable. The National Lung Cancer Trial in 2022 reported a reduction in lung cancer mortality with low-dose screening. While screening uptake is increasing, it remains low. The letter urges USPSTF, CMS, and other government agencies to “quickly act to remove artificial barriers for individuals who would benefit from screening.”