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Lung Cancer Facts or Myths

Lung Cancer Facts or Myths

Myth

Fact

You must have Symptoms to qualify for a lung cancer screening.

Having symptoms (such as, a new cough that lasts more than three weeks or a cough that gets worse) is not a requirement to qualify for a lung cancer screening.

Recently updated screening guidelines by the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) aim to increase lung cancer screenings to help more people detect lung cancer earlier, which, in some cases, can happen before any symptoms are present.

Only active smokers need to be screened for lung cancer

People who currently smoke or have smoked in the last 15 years may qualify for a lung cancer screening.

The greatest risk for lung cancer is a history of smoking. Adults between ages 50 and 80 should be screened every year if they currently smoke or quit within the past 15 years, and have at least a 20 pack-year smoking history*.

*A pack-year equals the number of packs of cigarettes a person smoked per day, multiplied by the number of years that they have smoked. For example, a person with 20 pack-years could have smoked 1 pack a day for 20 years, or 2 packs a day for 10 years, or half a pack a day for 40 years, etc.

Lung cancer screening are painful and invasive.

Lung cancer screenings only take a few minutes, are not painful and do not involve any needles.

During low-dose CT (computed tomography) scan, you lie on a table and an X-ray machine takes pictures of your lungs. It provides quality images of your lungs using 90% less ionizing radiation than a standard CT scan of your chest. The entire scan takes less than ten minutes. After your scan, your doctor will contact you with the results and talk about any next steps.

If you currently do not meet the criteria for a lung cancer screening, you will never
need one.

Your risk for lung cancer may change over time, for example, the longer you smoke, the greater your risk. So, even if you’re not eligible for screening now, you may be eligible in the future.

Other things that increase your risk for lung cancer include a family history of lung cancer or exposure to certain materials in the environment, such as radon gas, asbestos, secondhand smoke and other materials that may cause cancer like arsenic, chromium andnickel. You may be eligible for screening at a later date, so it’s important you talk with your doctor about screening during your annual health checks.

Yearly screening for people at high risk for lung cancer can help save lives by finding lung cancer earlier, before it has spread.

References:

  1. American Cancer Society. Every cancer. Every life. Available in: https://www.cancer.org/healthy/find-cancer-early/how-to-get-screened-for-cancer-if-you-dont-have-a-doctor.html. Citation date: December 19, 2022
  2. American Cancer Society. Lung Cancer Risk Factors. Available in: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/lung-cancer/prevention-and-early-detection/risk-factors.html Date: October 1, 2019. Citation date: December 19, 2022
  3. American Lung Association. Lung Cancer Key Findings. Available in: https://www.lung.org/research/state-of-lung-cancer/key-findings Date: November 17, 2022. Citation date: December 19, 2022
  4. American Lung Association. What to Expect from a Lung Cancer Screening . Available in: https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/lung-cancer/saved-by-the-scan/resources/what-to-expect-from-lung-cancer-screening | American Lung Association Citation date: December 19, 2022
  5. Cancer Treatment Centers of America. Low-dose CT (LDCT) scan. Available in: https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/lung-cancer/screening-resources/what-to-expect-from-lung-cancer-screening Date: MAY 6, 2022. Citation date: December 19, 2022
  6. Global Lung Cancer Coalition. COVID-19 and lung cancer symptoms – know the difference. https://www.cancercenter.com/cancer-types/lung-cancer/diagnosis-and-detection/low-dose-ct-scan Date: January 2021. Citation date: December 19, 2022
  7. GO2. Frequently Asked Questions About Screening. Available in: https://go2foundation.org/risk-early-detection/frequently-asked-questions/ Citation date: December 19, 2022
  8. NIH. Low-dose CT scan. Available in: https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/low-dose-ct-scan Citation date: December 19, 2022
  9. NCI. Pack Year. Available in: https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/low-dose-ct-scan. Citation date: December 19, 2022
  10. The University of Kansas Cancer Center. Low-Dose CT FAQ. Available in: https://www.kucancercenter.org/cancer/cancer-types/lung-cancer/lung-cancer-diagnosis-screening/low-dose-ct-faq . Citation date: December 19, 2022
  11. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Issues Final Recommendation Statement on Screening for Lung Cancer. Available in: https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/sites/default/files/file/supporting_documents/lung-cancer-newsbulletin.pdf Date: March 9, 2021. Citation date: December 19, 2022