Cancer Prevention & Screening
Lung Cancer Prevention & Screening
Schedule a screening and learn how you can lower your risk for lung cancer.
Schedule a Screening
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the US, causing more deaths than breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers combined.
Unfortunately, lung cancer doesn’t typically cause symptoms until the cancer has spread and is more difficult to treat; for that reason, adults who meet the following criteria should be screened yearly:
- Have a 20 pack-year or more smoking history, and
- Smoke now or have quit within the past 15 years, and
- Are between 50 and 80 years old
Lung cancer screening is recommended only for adults at high risk of developing lung cancer because of their smoking history and age.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) decided lung cancer screening will be reimbursed once a year for eligible Medicare patients; private insurers have also begun covering tests.
To schedule a screening, contact or discuss your risk factors, contact our Screening and Support Technologist.
Call (920) 623-1271Frequently Asked Questions
Adults should begin yearly lung cancer screening between ages 50 and 80 if they also meet the following criteria:
- Have a 20 pack-year* or more smoking history
- Smoke now or have quit within the past 15 years
*A 20 pack-year is smoking an average of one pack of cigarettes per day for one year.
The only recommended screening test for lung cancer is low-dose computed tomography (also called a low-dose CT scan, or LDCT). During an LDCT scan, an X-ray machine uses a low dose of radiation to create detailed images of the lungs.
Lung cancer screening has the following risks, which is why it’s only recommended for adults at high risk of developing lung cancer because of their smoking history and age.
- Screenings can suggest that a person has lung cancer when no cancer is present (i.e. false-positives), which can lead to unnecessary follow-up tests and surgeries.
- Screenings can find cases of cancer that may never have caused a problem for the patient, which can lead to overdiagnosis and unnecessary treatment.
- Radiation from repeated LDCT tests can cause cancer in otherwise healthy people.
Multiple variables can increase the risk of lung cancer, including:
Smoking
The risk of lung cancer increases with the number of cigarettes smoked each day and the number of years smoked. Quitting at any age can significantly lower the risk of developing lung cancer.
Exposure to secondhand smoke
The risk of lung cancer increases with exposure to secondhand smoke.
Previous radiation therapy
Previous radiation therapy to the chest for another type of cancer can increase the risk of developing lung cancer.
Exposure to radon gas
Unsafe levels of radon can accumulate in any building — including homes — and can increase the risk of developing lung cancer.
Exposure to asbestos and other carcinogens
Workplace exposure to asbestos and other substances known to cause cancer — such as arsenic, chromium and nickel — can increase the risk of developing lung cancer, especially among smokers.
Family history of lung cancer
People with a parent, sibling, or child with lung cancer have an increased risk of the disease.
