A new study shows that most lung cancer cases in the U.S. are not found early because current screening rules miss many people at risk. Health experts say this leaves too many patients undiagnosed until the disease is advanced.
Currently, low-dose CT scans are recommended mainly for people aged 50 to 80 who have smoked heavily. But the study, based on patients at Northwestern Medicine, found that about two-thirds of people with lung cancer did not meet these rules. Women, minorities, and people who never smoked were often left out, health experts warn.
Dr. Ankit Bharat, the lead researcher, said lung cancer should not be seen only as a smoker’s disease. One patient, Jessie Creel, was a healthy nonsmoker who was diagnosed with stage‑4 lung cancer. Health experts say cases like this show why screening guidelines need to change.
Health experts suggest that screening should include all adults between 40 and 85 years old, no matter their smoking history. This change could help doctors find up to 94 percent of lung cancer cases and save around 26,000 lives each year.
Even among people who are currently eligible, few actually get screened. Only about 9 to 30 percent of eligible people have the test. Health experts say this low rate makes it harder to catch cancer early when treatment is more effective.
Researchers are also studying new ways to detect lung cancer. Blood tests are being developed to identify high-risk people, including nonsmokers. Health experts warn that without changes to screening rules and better access to tests, many lung cancer cases will continue to go undetected. Expanding screening and using new tools could save many lives.
