Lung cancer screening with CT scan can reduce risk of death by 20%, doctor says

Cancer can occur at any age, often without symptoms. For many cancers, routine screening remains the best way to detect the disease early and reduce the risk of death.

For lung cancer, screening guidelines may vary, as the disease does not always show obvious signs and can occur in both smokers and non-smokers.

Daniel J. Boffa, MD, chairman of the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer and a thoracic surgeon at Yale University, noted that lung cancer screening is “one of the most powerful ways” to improve survival.

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“It reduces the risk of death from lung cancer by 20%,” he told Fox News Digital.

The share of Americans eligible for screening but who do not comply translates into “tens of thousands of preventable deaths each year,” according to Boffa.

The most common symptoms of lung cancer are related to the lungs, including a persistent cough, shortness of breath, or coughing up blood. (iStock)

“I hope that within four or five years, a screening scan will only be confirmatory after a positive blood test done at your doctor’s office,” he added.

This approach could facilitate screening and potentially help detect more lung cancers, according to the doctor.

Potential symptoms

In a recent interview with Fox News Digital, Lary Robinson, MD, an oncologist at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida, noted that in most cases, early-stage lung cancer is not accompanied by any symptoms.

However, among those who do experience symptoms, the most common are related to the lungs, including persistent coughing, shortness of breath, or coughing up blood.

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Unexplained weight loss can result from any form of cancer, according to the oncologist. Neurological symptoms, such as persistent headaches, may also warrant a visit to the doctor.

Current Guidelines

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), current lung cancer screening guidelines recommend annual low-dose CT scans for people ages 50 to 80 who currently smoke or have a history of smoking or have a smoking history of at least 20 pack-years.

Before making the decision to get tested, individuals should discuss with their health care providers the purpose of screening and how it is performed, as well as the benefits, limitations, and possible harms, the ACS advised.

Annual CT screening is generally recommended starting at age 50 for people at high risk of lung cancer. (iStock)

Those who still smoke should be given advice on how to quit and offered interventions and resources to help them.

People with serious health conditions that will “likely limit” their life expectancy should not be screened, according to the ACS, as well as those who will not be able to get treatment if lung cancer is detected.

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Although one in seven lung cancers occurs in a person who has never smoked, there are currently no screening guidelines for non-smokers.

Finding people who would benefit from screening is an “area of ​​intense research,” according to Boffa. For now, people with a direct family history of lung cancer without smoking should consider annual screenings, as should higher-risk demographic groups like Asian women.

The lung cancer scan takes just a few minutes and does not take place in a confined space like an MRI, one doctor noted. (iStock)

“I think within a year or two we will have better advice for people who are at risk for lung cancer but have never smoked,” Boffa predicted.

What to expect

Boffa noted that advances in lung cancer treatment have improved survival, even at advanced stages, and therefore screening should not be seen as a pathway to a terminal diagnosis.

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“People are really reluctant to be diagnosed with lung cancer because it carries a stigma,” Boffa said. “For years, there was a reputation that it was a terminal diagnosis. The results of lung cancer research are simply incredible.”

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Most screenings detect a lung nodule or other abnormality, which is more often an infection, scar or inflammation than a tumor, he said.

In about a third of patients, lung cancer screening tests also detect unrelated health problems, including hardening of the heart arteries or a nodule in another part of the body.

Lung cancer screening is “one of the most powerful ways” to prevent patients from having their lives cut short, doctors say. (iStock)

“The reality is that more than 99 percent of nodules are benign,” Boffa said. “And so, you need to have a conversation about what you’re going to do with that information.”

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“I think it’s very important to have that conversation in advance so that expectations are set – it’s not uncommon to find something. Most of the time it’s not something that’s going to affect your lifespan.”

The doctor noted that the scan only takes a few minutes and does not take place in an enclosed space like an MRI.

“I anticipate that within a year or two we will have better advice for people who are at risk of lung cancer but have never smoked.” (iStock)

“People with claustrophobia generally don’t have difficulty with lung cancer screening,” Boffa said. “And it usually takes a few days to receive a report.”

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For those over 50 with a history of smoking, Boffa reiterated that screening is “one of the most powerful things you can do to reduce your chances of having your life cut short due to lung cancer.”