Only About 33% Knew About Lung Cancer Screening

Every year, nearly 125,000 Americans die from lung cancer, making it the leading cause of cancer death. Those numbers are sobering, but they don't tell the whole story.

I've spent much of my career caring for patients with lung cancer, and I've never been more hopeful than I am today.

We're finding more cancers early through low-dose CT screening. We have better ways to biopsy suspicious nodules. We routinely test tumors for genetic changes that help us choose personalized treatments. Immunotherapy and targeted therapies have transformed what was once unimaginable into everyday practice for many patients.

Yet one of our greatest challenges isn't a lack of technology. It's that too many people who qualify for lung cancer screening don't know it exists, or they never ask about it. In fact, only about 33% of people know lung cancer had a screening test.

The screening is remarkably simple. It takes about five minutes, requires no needles or IV contrast, allows you to keep your regular clothes on, and doesn't require fasting. For people at high risk, it can find lung cancer before symptoms ever develop, when treatment has the greatest chance of success.

Another obstacle is stigma.

Nobody deserves lung cancer. Whether someone smoked for forty years, quit decades ago, or never smoked at all, they deserve compassion, outstanding medical care, and every opportunity to benefit from the remarkable advances we've made.

If you are between the ages of 50 and 80 with a significant smoking history, ask your healthcare provider whether low-dose CT lung cancer screening is right for you. If you have a friend or family member who qualifies, encourage them to ask. If they're reluctant, start the conversation for them.

Sometimes the most important conversation in medicine is the one that happens before anyone feels sick.

'Til No One Dies of Lung Cancer