Medically Reviewed
Lung cancer screening is easier than most cancer screening tests, yet few people at risk for the disease get it done.
Canva; Everyday Health
Lung cancer kills more men and women than any other type of cancer. Detecting this disease in its early stages can lead to better survival. Screening, for those who qualify, is free, fast, and easy via a low-dose computed tomography (CT) scan.
So why do so few Americans actually get screened for lung cancer?
One 2016 report showed that five years after government and private insurers started covering the cost of screening, less than 2 percent of eligible patients underwent CT screening.
Medically Reviewed
Low dose CT scanning for lung cancer can detect lung cancer at an earlier, more treatable, stage, or rule out the presence of cancer entirely, as in the images above.
iStock
Computed tomography, commonly known as a CT scan, is a test that creates detailed pictures of structures inside your body.
A chest CT scan lets doctors look at your lungs to detect any unusual nodules, or lesions, within your lungs. These nodules can be either benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous).
Studies show that when doctors are able to detect lung cancer early, via CT screenings, they are more curable than if caught later, when they become larger, spread, and are more symptomatic. This is important because lung cancer is the number one cause of cancer-related death in the United States. According to Cedars Sinai, experts estimate that more than 80 percent of lung cancers can be cured if they are detected at a very early stage.
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