Expanding Lung Cancer Screening Guidelines to Reach More Smokers

The American Cancer Society has updated its guidelines, recommending that an additional 5 million Americans who smoke or used to smoke should undergo annual screenings for lung cancer. The new recommendations apply to about 19 million people who would benefit from low-dose computed tomography scans, allowing for improved cancer detection at an earlier stage. The guideline also suggests that people continue to get annual scans even if they quit smoking more than 15 years ago. The mortality rate for lung cancer remains high, accounting for 20% of all cancer fatalities, but advancements in CT scans and immunotherapy offer better opportunities to reduce deaths.