More Evidence Lung Cancer Screening Boosts Survival Odds
Patients diagnosed with lung cancer may have better long-term survival rates when it’s caught early by low-dose computerized tomography (CT) scans, a new study suggests.The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends annual lung cancer screening with low-dose CT in adults ages 50 to 80 years who have a 20 pack-year smoking history, which equals at least a pack a day for 20 years, and who currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years. But less than 6 percent of people eligible for lung cancer screening get it, according to the American Lung Association.For the new study, researchers examined data on 20-year survival rates for 1,285 patients diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer after undergoing screening with low-dose CT scans.Overall, the 20-year survival rate was 80 percent, according to preliminary…