Lung Cancer - Who Should Be Screening?

The current USPSTF guidelines recommend annual screening with low-dose CT in patients age 50 to 80 who have a 20-pack year smoking history and currently smoke or have quit in the last 15 years. The national lung screening trial found that there was a 20% reduction in lung cancer-related mortality after 6.5 years. Screening interval depends on the characteristics of the initial lesion and the patient's risk factors. Additional imaging or biopsy should be considered for patients with nodules 15 millimeters in up, say doctors.