11/09/2025
Today, November 8, is National Lung Cancer Screening Day
📌 Why Should You Get a Lung Cancer Screening Test?
❕Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in America, but now there's hope. Screening is used to detect lung cancer early, when it is more likely to be curable. If lung cancer is caught before it spreads, the likelihood of surviving 5 years or more improves to 65 percent.*
*Based on early-stage lung cancer stats (stage 1 vs. stage 4)
📌 About the Low-Dose Lung Cancer Screening
❕A low-dose CT scan is a special kind of X-ray that takes multiple pictures as you lie on a table that slides in and out of the machine. A computer then combines these images into a detailed picture of your lungs. A study on early detection of lung cancer found that the low-dose cancer screening test can reduce mortality for those at high risk. If you're a current or former smoker over the age of 50, you could meet the high-risk eligibility criteria.
📌 Are you acandidate for lung cancer screening?
❕If you meet the following criteria, you are considered to be at "high risk" for developing lung cancer and screening is recommended:
❕50-80 years of age
❕Have a 20 pack-year history of smoking (this means 1 pack a day for 20 years, 2 packs a day for 10 years, etc.)
❕AND, currently smoke, or have quit within the last 15 years
*At this time, there is not enough evidence to show that screening is recommended for other groups.
🖊️ Caption info shared from at lung.org
