Lung cancer is one of the most preventable cancers. The best prevention is to quit smoking. Screening for lung cancer can also reduce your risk, and the Lung Cancer Screening Clinic is a special clinic designed to follow the recommendations from the US Preventive Services Task Force to screen high risk patients.
Who Can Benefit from Lung Cancer Screening?
Recent research has shown that people aged 55-80 who are current or former (within 15 years) smokers with at least 30 pack years (1 pack of cigarettes a day for 30 years) of exposure can reduce their chances of dying from lung cancer by undergoing a process of screening.
To help you better understand your personal risk for lung cancer and the risks and benefits of screening, we have developed a decision aid. It is available at
What Does the Screening Include?
The screening process begins with an initial low dose CT scan, which can be followed by an office visit, during which the results will be reviewed with you. It is VERY important to understand that screening for lung cancer is a process, not a single test, so achieving the greatest reduction in your risk of dying from lung cancer requires that you adhere to your doctor’s recommendations for ongoing scans, typically at yearly intervals, and follow up on any abnormalities.
Will My Insurance Cover the Cost?
The U.S. Preventives Services Task Force (USPSTF), the government body that evaluates cancer screening tools, recommends lung cancer screening for people age 55-80 who have smoked at least 30 pack years, and are either current smokers or quit within the last 15 years. Under the Affordable Care Act, the UPSTF recommendation requires private insurance companies to include the service as an essential covered benefit. This became effective for lung cancer screening in January 2015. You should check with you health insurance plan to determine if this is a covered service for you.
In addition, Medicare, which provides health care benefits to those 65 and older, will cover lung screenings for people age 55-77 who have smoked at least 30 pack years and are either current smokers or quit within the last 15 years.
If a nodule is found, your future scans will also be covered by your health insurance. The office visits should be covered by your insurance. At this office visit you will also be provided with resources for smoking cessation if you have not already stopped.