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In 2015, 5.9% of adults aged 55-80 years who are at risk for lung cancer due to smoking had a CT scan to check for lung cancer within the past year.
Introduction
Lung cancer screening uses a type of chest computed tomography (CT), known as low radiation dose CT (LDCT), using reduced doses of radiation (as compared to usual chest CT) to create very detailed three-dimensional pictures of the lungs. Doctors use lung cancer screening for early detection of disease in former and current smokers who do not have symptoms. Another name for LDCT is low-dose helical CT.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends annual LDCT screening for lung cancer in adults aged 55 to 80 years who have a 30 pack-year smoking history or more and who currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years. The National Lung Screening Trial (NLST), a large randomized controlled trial, demonstrated that lung cancer screening with LDCT reduced the risk of dying from lung cancer by 20 percent in people of that age and with that smoking history.
Quitting smoking is the best way to reduce the risk of dying from lung cancer. Lung cancer screening is not a substitute for smoking cessation.
Measure
The percentage of men and women who reported having a chest CT to check for lung cancer in the 12 months prior to interview. Percentages are shown by race/ethnicity, income, and education level, and are restricted to respondents aged 55 to 80 years old who smoked at least 30 pack-years, and if former smokers, who quit within the past 15 years. The reason for the chest CT was not ascertained; therefore, percentages should be considered an upper bound on the prevalence of lung cancer screening in the US. Smoking history was calculated using methods from the Use of Lung Cancer Screening Tests in the United States: Results from the 2010 National Health Interview Survey article, published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
Healthy People 2020 Target
There are no Healthy People 2020 targets for lung cancer screening.
Healthy People 2020 is a set of goals set forth by the Department of Health and Human Services.
Data Source
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, National Health Interview Survey, 2010–2015.
Trends and Most Recent Estimates
By Sex
| Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2015) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percent of adults | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
|
Both Sexes
|
5.9 | 4.0 - 8.6 |
Male
|
5.6 | 3.6 - 8.6 | |
Female
|
6.3 | 3.3 - 11.8 | |
By Race/Ethnicity
| Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2015) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percent of adults | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
|
All Races
|
5.9 | 4.0 - 8.6 |
Non-Hispanic White
|
6.2 | 4.1 - 9.2 | |
Non-Hispanic Black
|
6.8 | 3.2 - 13.6 | |
Hispanic
|
0.7 | 0.1 - 4.6 | |
By Poverty Income Level
| Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2015) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percent of adults | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
|
<200% of federal poverty level
|
5.2 | 3.3 - 8.2 |
>=200% of federal poverty level
|
6.2 | 3.7 - 10.2 | |
By Education Level
| Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2015) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percent of adults | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
|
Less than High School
|
4.2 | 2.3 - 7.6 |
High School
|
8.3 | 5.0 - 13.5 | |
Greater than High School
|
5.0 | 2.4 - 10.0 | |
By Age
| Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2015) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percent of adults | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
|
Ages 55-64
|
3.8 | 2.3 - 6.1 |
Ages 65-80
|
7.8 | 4.7 - 12.7 | |
By Smoking Pack Years
| Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2015) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percent of adults | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
|
30-39 Pack Years
|
7.4 | 3.4 - 15.4 |
40+ Pack Years
|
5.5 | 3.5 - 8.4 | |
Additional Information on Lung Cancer Screening
For the public
- Lung Cancer. National Cancer Institute.
- Lung Cancer Screening (PDQ®)-Patient Version. National Cancer Institute.
- Is Lung Cancer Screening Right for Me?. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
- Can lung cancer be found early?. American Cancer Society.
- Lung Cancer. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Lung Cancer: Who Should Be Screened for Lung Cancer?. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Tips from Former Smokers: Guide for quitting smoking. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Tips from Former Smokers: smoking and cancer. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Medicare coverage of yearly lung cancer screenings. Medicare Interactive.
- National Comprehensive Cancer Network Guidelines for Patients®: Lung Cancer Screening. National Comprehensive Cancer Network.
- Screening for Lung Cancer. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- Lung Cancer: Screening (Related Information for Consumers). U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
- Smokefree.gov.
- Testing for lung cancer in people at high risk. Wiley Online Library.
For health professionals
- Lung Cancer . National Cancer Institute
- Lung Cancer Screening (PDQ®)-Health Professional Version. National Cancer Institute
- Lung cancer screening tools. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
- Lung Cancer Screening Guidelines. American Cancer Society.
- Smoking Cessation. Cancer Trends Progress Report.
- Health Care Providers: How you can help your patients quit. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Decision Memo for Screening for Lung Cancer with Low Dose Computed Tomography (LDCT) (CAG-00439N). Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
- Lung Cancer Screening, NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology. National Comprehensive Cancer Network.
- Help others quit. Smokefree.gov.
- Final Recommendation Statement. Lung Cancer: Screening. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
- Lung Cancer: Screening (Talking with your Patients about Lung Cancer Screening). U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
Scientific reports
- Results of the two incidence screenings in the National Lung Screening Trial. Aberle DR, DeMello S, Berg CD et al. N Engl J Med 2013;369(10):920-31.
- Benefits and harms of computed tomography lung cancer screening strategies: a comparative modeling study for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. de Koning HJ, Meza R, Plevritis SK et al. 2014 Ann Intern Med 2014;160(5):311-20.
- Screening for lung cancer with low-dose computed tomography: a systematic review to update the US Preventive services task force recommendation. Humphrey LL, Deffebach M, Pappas M et al. Ann Intern Med 2013;159(6):411-420.
- Stakeholder research priorities for smoking cessation interventions within lung cancer screening programs. An official American Thoracic Society Research Statement. Kathuria H, Detterbeck FC, Fathi JT et al. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2017;196(9):1202-1212.
- Smoking-related health beliefs and smoking behavior in the National Lung Screening Trial. Kaufman AR, Dwyer LA, Land SR et al. Addict Behav 2018;84:27-32.
- Reduced lung-cancer mortality with low-dose computed tomographic screening. National Lung Screening Trial Research Team, Aberle DR, Adams AM et al. N engl J Med 2011;365(5):395-409.
- Results of initial low-dose computed tomographic screening for lung cancer. National Lung Screening Trial Research Team, Church TR, Black WC et al. N Engl J Med 2013;368(21):1980-91.
Statistics
- SEER Cancer Stat Facts: Lung and Bronchus Cancer. National Cancer Institute.
- Use of lung cancer screening tests in the United States: results from the 2010 National Health Interview Survey. Doria-Rose VP, White MC, Klabunde CN et al. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2012;21(7):1049-59.
- Lung Cancer Screening With Low-Dose Computed Tomography in the United States-2010 to 2015. Jemal A, Fedewa SA. JAMA Oncol 2017;3(9):1278-1281.