Lung cancer often does not cause symptoms in its early stages. Finding it earlier can mean more treatment options and better outcomes. Even though screening can help find lung cancer earlier, not enough people are asking their healthcare provider about getting tested. A recent study found that only 15% of people eligible for lung cancer screening had discussed it with their provider in the past year.
Types of Lung Cancer Tests
Low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) is currently recommended for people at high risk. Adults ages 50–80 who have at least a 20 pack-year smoking history and currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years should talk with their healthcare provider about annual screening.
Another type of test is a multi-cancer blood test. Several companies have their tests in the pipeline for FDA approval. One example is the Galleri® multi-cancer early detection blood test. Galleri looks for DNA in the bloodstream that is shed by cancer cells. It is different from genetic testing because it does not predict your future inherited risk of developing cancer. It looks for signals that cancer may already be present and can help identify where in the body that signal may be coming from.
These newer tests do not replace recommended cancer screenings, including LDCT for lung cancer. If a cancer signal is found, additional testing is also needed to determine if cancer is present.
Talk with your healthcare provider if you meet the criteria for lung cancer screening, have a history of smoking or other risk factors, or have symptoms such as a cough that will not go away, coughing up blood, shortness of breath, chest pain, or unexplained weight loss.
Even if you do not qualify for LDCT screening, talk with your provider about your individual risk and whether there are other screening options you should consider.
We Are Making Progress
There is encouraging news when it comes to lung cancer. In The Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, the American Cancer Society found that progress against lung cancer is one of the main reasons cancer deaths continue to decline in the United States.
From 2018–2022, new lung cancer cases declined an average of 3.5% each year among men and 1.9% among women. We saw even greater progress in lung cancer mortality rates, 4.7% per year among men and 3.0% among women.
A number of changes are contributing to this progress. Smoking rates have fallen by approximately 50% since the early 2000s. More lung cancers are also being found earlier, with early diagnosis increasing by approximately two-thirds, and five-year survival rates for lung cancer have doubled.
Those numbers show just how much progress has been made through prevention, earlier detection, and better treatment. They also show why we need to keep going.
There is still more we need to learn about who develops lung cancer and how we can better detect and treat the disease. That is why Respiratory Health Association has invested more than $1.8 million in lung cancer research. This research is helping us better understand lung cancer and find new ways to improve care for people diagnosed with the disease.