Biotech
Wednesday, November 1st, 2023 2:47 pm EDT
Key Points
- The American Cancer Society has released new guidelines for lung cancer screening that expand eligibility criteria to include more individuals at risk of the disease.
- Under the new guidelines, even heavy smokers who quit smoking 15 years ago or more are recommended to get yearly low-dose CT scans for early detection.
- The previous guidelines, which focused on a person’s smoking history and quitting duration, were based on a flawed premise. The new guidelines aim to increase early screening for lung cancer, as the disease is often diagnosed at a late stage, leading to poor survival rates.
The article you provided discusses the new American Cancer Society guidelines for lung cancer screening. These guidelines expand eligibility for regular scans to detect lung cancer early. The previous recommendations focused on people aged 50 to 80 who had smoked at least 20 “pack years” and were either current smokers or had quit within the last 15 years. The new guidance extends the screening to heavy smokers who quit 15 years ago or more.
The change is based on a reevaluation of the data, revealing that the risk of lung cancer continues to rise with age, even among those who quit smoking over 15 years ago. This expansion in guidelines aims to improve early detection and potentially save lives by catching lung cancer at an earlier stage.
The prognosis for late-stage lung cancer is generally poor, but early screening can significantly improve survival rates. The low rates of lung cancer screening in the United States are a concern, and these new guidelines aim to increase screening rates. The hope is to make people more aware of the importance of early detection, especially for those at risk due to their smoking history.
For the full original article on CNBC, please click here: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/01/new-lung-cancer-screening-guidelines-expand-who-should-get-tested-annually.html
