American Cancer Society Joins Ranks of Lung Cancer Screening Supporters!

Lung cancer screening advocates have another major organization on their side. The American Cancer Society (ACS) has published guidelines recommending CT screening for long-term and current smokers, following an analysis of clinical studies demonstrating the procedure’s benefits. The ACS joins the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in supporting lung cancer screening with low-dose CT scans.

Following the results of the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST), sufficient evidence supporting the value of lung cancer screening prompted the ACS to recommend regular CT screening in smokers or those who have quit in the last 15 years aged 55 to 74 years with at least 30 pack-years of smoking history. This is a positive step towards widespread and routine CT lung cancer screening for current and former smokers.

At UCSF, we support lung cancer screening for high-risk patients, as it can discover the disease when it is potentially more treatable and curable. As the NLST demonstrated, a significant portion of lung-cancer mortalities in heavy smokers can be avoided due to early detection of malignancies. The Lung Cancer Screening Program is a potentially life-saving option for qualified candidates.

Learn more about the UCSF Lung Cancer Screening Program here or by calling for more information at (415) 514-8787.