Female nurse controlling lung cancer machine of a patient getting checked.

    Lung Cancer Screening

    A single 3-minute scan could add years to your life.

    Nearly 250,000 Americans will be diagnosed with lung cancer this year. Current and previous smokers are at a higher risk. A single three-minute scan could add years to your life. Asking your provider if a lung screening is right for you is the first step. Getting scanned at one of our two radiology locations would be the second step. Knowing your health and what treatments you need is the third. 

    Lung cancer happens when abnormal cells form in the lungs and grow out of control. These cells can form a tumor and can spread to other parts of the body. Lung cancer is often diagnosed once it has spread outside the lungs. About 9 out of every 10 people with lung cancer die from the disease because it is found after it has spread.

    The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends lung cancer screening for individuals who: 

    • Are 50-80 years old (Medicare covers age 50-77) 

    • Do not have any signs or symptoms of lung cancer (diagnostic testing may be recommended for people who do have signs or symptoms of lung cancer)

    • Currently smoke or quit less than 15 years ago

    • Are or were a smoker (20 pack-years history, such as those who smoked 1 pack per day for 20 years or 2 packs per day for 10 years) 

    The USPSTF does not recommend lung cancer screening for individuals who: 

    • Have a condition that greatly limits how long they may live 

    • Are not willing to have surgery for lung cancer 

    The benefits of lung cancer screening may be greater if your lung cancer risk is higher. For example, current smokers who smoke more than one pack a day have a higher risk for lung cancer than smokers who quit 10 years ago. 

    • Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in America. Screening is used to detect lung cancer early, when it is more likely to be curable. If lung cancer is caught before it spreads, the likelihood of surviving 5 years or more improves to 63 percent.* 

    • About 8 million Americans qualify as high risk for lung cancer and are recommended to receive annual screening with low-dose CT scans.  

    • If half of these high risk individuals were screened, over 12,000 lung cancer deaths could be prevented. 

    • The five-year survival rate for lung cancer is 56 percent for cases detected when the disease is still localized (within the lungs). However, only 16 percent of lung cancer cases are diagnosed at an early stage. For distant tumors (spread to other organs) the five-year survival rate is only 5 percent. 

    The risks of lung cancer screening may be greater if you have other health problems, such as heart disease or severe lung disease like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The risk of problems from biopsies may be higher in these people. 

    • Like all screening tests, lung cancer screening does have risks. There is a low radiation exposure risk. The amount is about the same as what an average American gets in six months of natural background radiation by living on planet Earth. This is a little bit higher than the amount of radiation women are exposed to through a mammogram (American Lung Association).

    • Whenever physicians are able to take a detailed look at an organ, like the lungs, they might find things that look like cancer but are not (called a false positive).  Or they might find nodules that are very slow-growing cancers that would never cause you harm. But because there is no way to know if the cancer is slow growing, this might mean you will get follow-up tests or treatment that you wouldn’t have if you hadn’t had the scan (called over diagnosis). 

    • The scan also sees other parts of the body, not only the lungs. Sometimes this can show things that may be medically concerning and may need follow-up testing or treatment. These are called incidental findings. About 6 out of 100 (6 percent) initial screening scans show an incidental finding.

    • A new cough that does not go away or gets worse 

    • Chest pain that is often worse when you breathe deeply, cough, or laugh 

    • A hoarse voice 

    • Unexplained weight loss and loss of appetite 

    • Coughing up blood or rust-colored spit or phlegm 

    • Shortness of breath 

    • Infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia that do not go away or keep coming back 

    • Wheezing 

     

    Many patients with lung cancer do not have any symptoms when the cancer first starts. It is best to find lung cancer early before symptoms start, when the cancer is more easily treated. This is why screening is important. 

    If you are experiencing any of the symptoms above, ask your primary care provider about getting screened today. Lung cancer screenings are offered at the following Springfield Clinic locations.

    Resources

    Smoking Cessation

    More than 8 out of every 10 lung cancer cases in the United States are from smoking. Remember, the best way to lower your chances of dying from lung cancer is to stop smoking. Lung cancer screening should not be done in place of quitting smoking.

    If you currently smoke, talk to your health care professional or call one of the quit-lines below.

    • Nationwide Quit-line: 1-800-QUIT-NOW

    • Illinois Tobacco Quit-line: 1-866-QUIT-YES

    Dr. Windie McKay with Springfield Clinic Chiropractic & Acupuncture is a board-certified Chiropractor and trained in smoking cessation treatment. Call 217.546.5971 to schedule your smoking cessation with Dr. McKay today.