American Cancer Society Urges Millions More Smokers to Screen for Lung Cancer Annually

New guidelines to impact 19 million people, recommending annual CT scans including those who quit smoking over 15 years ago and individuals aged between 50 to 80 years.

The American Cancer Society has revised its guidelines, now urging an additional 5 million Americans, totaling 19 million, who smoke or used to smoke to undergo annual low dose CT scans for lung cancer, expanding the age group from 55-74 to 50-80 years old.
This recommendation also applies to people who stopped smoking over 15 years ago, overturning the previous guideline that recommended discontinuing screenings 15 years after quitting.
The new recommendation includes those with a less intense smoking history, now covering people who smoke or smoked the equivalent of one pack per day for 20 years, rather than the previous 30-year limit.
Despite declining mortality rates due to lower smoking rates, lung cancer remains the leading cancer killer in the United States, with an estimated 238,000 new cases and over 127,000 deaths projected in 2023, about 80% of which are caused by cigarette smoking.
The American Cancer Society acknowledges the relatively low uptake of lung cancer screening, with the national average being about 10% of those who are eligible, and emphasizes the importance of annual screenings to improve detection and treatment outcomes.