The Importance of Lung Cancer Screening

Sponsored by Merck

Did you know that more people die from lung cancer than from colon, breast, and prostate cancers combined? Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in the U.S. 

Lung cancer develops when abnormal cells in the lungs grow uncontrollably, often causing severe health issues or death. While lung cancer symptoms may not always be present until the disease has spread, some common symptoms may include a cough that does not go away or gets worse, chest pain that is often worse with deep breathing, coughing or laughing, and shortness of breath.

What are some common risk factors of lung cancer?

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• Smoking: The greatest risk for lung cancer is a history of smoking. 
• Environmental factors: Exposure to certain materials in the environment, such as radon gas, asbestos and secondhand smoke.
• Family history: If someone in your family has had lung cancer, you may have a slightly higher risk of developing lung cancer. 

Why is lung cancer screening important, and what does it involve? 

An annual lung cancer screening for eligible people may help by detecting lung cancer earlier, before it has spread. 

Lung cancer screening involves a low-dose computed tomography scan (also called a low-dose CT scan or LDCT). During this scan, you lie on a table and an X-ray machine takes pictures of your lungs. The scan takes less than 10 minutes, and it doesn’t require any medications or needles. After the scan, a doctor looks at the images and shares the results with your health care provider. For a low-dose CT scan, the dose of radiation is less than the average background radiation a person may be exposed to in a year.

Who should get lung cancer screening?

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As of 2021, to be eligible for a lung cancer screening, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that people meet the following criteria:

• Age between 50-80 years old
• Currently smoke or you have quit smoking tobacco within the last 15 years
• Have at least a 20 pack-year smoking history

However, despite the expanded guidelines, unfortunately, in 2022 it was estimated only 16% of eligible people actually underwent screening.

Some groups of people are more likely to get lung cancer, including Black men. Of note, Black individuals were 15% less likely to be diagnosed early, 12% more likely to not receive treatment and 16% less likely to survive five years after diagnosis, compared to white individuals. Lung cancer screening can play an important role in earlier detection for those who are eligible.

To find a place where you can get screened if you are eligible, speak with your doctor or visit GO2 for Lung Cancer. To find out if you meet the screening criteria, take the screening eligibility quiz on Merck’s Focus on Your Lungs