This week , the U.S. Preventive Service Task Force issued its long-awaited guideline on lung cancer screening . They recommend annual screening for lung cancer with low-dose computed tomography ( CT ) in adults ages 55 to 80 who are at high risk for lung cancer because they have smoked a pack or more per day of cigarettes for at least 30 years and currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years . Low-dose CT is an imaging technology involving low doses of radiation . This is important news , as 160,000 Americans die of lung cancer every year . It is estimated that this test could eventually prevent between 8,000 and 22,000 lung cancer deaths per year . About 85 % of lung cancers are due to cigarette smoking ; 37 % of Americans are current or former smokers and 20 % still smoke . The task force , an independent group of experts , makes evidence-based recommendation on preventive services like screenings , preventive medications and counseling services . They are highly respected among screening and preventive medicine experts . Their process for developing guidelines involves an extensive review of scientific studies , issuing of a draft guideline for public input and publishing a final recommendation . The task force advises the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services . The Affordable Care Act mandates that health insurance cover screenings the task force deems useful . This latest recommendation is largely based on the National Cancer Institute 's National Lung Screening Trial . This study , which began in 2001 , is one of the best-designed screening studies conducted on any cancer . Stigma lingers for deadliest cancer . The task force recommendation is similar to the lung screening guidelines issued by other organizations because of the quality of this trial . These organizations include the American College of Chest Physicians , the American Society of Clinical Oncology , the American Thoracic Society , the American Association for Thoracic Surgery , the National Comprehensive Cancer Network and the American Cancer Society ( for which I work ) . Disagreements exist in prostate and breast cancer screening recommendations because of flaws in all major prostate and breast screening trials . The National Lung Screening Trial ( NLST ) assessed more than 54,000 smokers and showed screening caused a 20 % decline in lung cancer deaths eight to 10 years later . This means 80 % of lung cancer deaths still occurred . Also , smoking-induced cardiovascular disease kills far more people than lung cancer . Smoking also causes a number of other serious diseases , including bronchitis , emphysema and at least 11 other cancers . All current lung cancer screening recommendations note that the patient needs to understand the risks and benefits of screening and decide if it is right for them . There are definite harms associated with lung cancer screening . More than one in four people screened will have a finding that leads to further testing . Ultimately , 24 out of 25 who get further testing will not have lung cancer . Additional testing can include more X-ray testing as well as invasive tests such as biopsies and surgeries . A small proportion of patients getting additional testing will have permanent disabilities or even die as a result . In the NLST , roughly one person died after an invasive procedure triggered by screening for every five to six lives saved because of screening . Studies also show that some people will have an `` overdiagnosis cancer '' -- that is , a cancer that would never progress and kill . It is still difficult for many of us in medicine to accept that there are cancers that do not need treatment . This is a relatively new phenomenon due to improvements in imaging and diagnostics . Nicotine in e-cigs , tobacco linked to heart disease . There is currently no good test to determine who has a cancer that needs treatment and who has a cancer that does not need treatment , therefore some screen-detected patients will receive treatment that is not needed to save their life . The NLST was conducted in 33 of the finest hospitals in the United States . These hospitals were chosen for their specific expertise in radiology , pulmonary medicine , thoracic surgery , and medical and radiation oncology . Many health care centers will have to work to ensure they have the appropriate equipment and skills to provide screening . Just as with the introduction of mammography for breast cancer screening , it may take years for these skills to be available throughout the country . This is a test for relatively heavy smokers . We need a screening test for nonsmokers and light smokers . About one in six people who develop lung cancer are nonsmokers . Unfortunately , studies suggest that there is not great benefit to low-dose spiral CT screening in these populations , but many of the potential harms remain . Patients who smoke or who have smoked cigarettes should talk to their doctor about whether low-dose spiral CT is a good test for them . Most importantly , do not use lung cancer screening as a reason to continue smoking , as all science to date tells us there is greater benefit in quitting .
160,000 people die of lung cancer every year . A new recommendation is screening of heavy current or former patients . The screening is not without hazards , however .