New guidelines aim to screen millions more for lung cancer

Lung cancer kills more Americans than any other malignancy.

The latest American Cancer Society (ACS) updated guidelines aim to reduce deaths by considerably expanding the pool of people who seek annual, low-dose CT screening scans.

Advocates hope the new advice will prompt more people at risk to schedule yearly screening, says Dr. Carey Thomson, director of the Multidisciplinary Thoracic Oncology andScreening Program at Harvard-affiliated Mount Auburn Hospital, and chair of the Early Detection Task Group for the ACS/National Lung Cancer Roundtable. Currently, fewer than one in 10 eligible people in the US follow through on recommended lung screenings.

What are the major changes in the new ACS guidelines?

The updated ACS guidelines are aimed at high-risk individuals. All of whom have a smoking history. And unlike previous ACS recommendations, it doesn’t matter how long ago a person quit smoking. The updated guidelines also lower the bar on amount of smoking and widen the age window to seek screening.

How many people get?

Although lung cancer is the third most ทางเข้า UFABET สำหรับสมาชิกใหม่ สมัครวันนี้ รับโบนัสฟรี common malignancy in the United States, it’s the deadliest, killing more people than colorectal, breast, prostate, and cervical cancers combined. In 2023, about 238,000 Americans diagnose and 127,000 will die of it.

What is the major risk factor?

While people who have never smoked can get smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke is a major risk factor for this illness. Smoking is link to as many as 80% to 90% deaths.

Indeed, people who smoke are 15 to 30 times more likely to develop or die than those who don’t. The longer someone smokes and the more cigarettes they smoke each day, the higher their risks.