Lung Cancer Screening

Annual lung screening is used to detect cancer in people who are in a high-risk group.

• Get a lung cancer screening if you are:
• 50-80 years old
• Currently smoke OR quit in the last 15 years
• Have at least a 20-pack-year smoking history (1 pack per day for 20 years OR 1/2 pack a day for 40 years)

Tobacco smoking is the biggest risk factor for lung cancer. It also accounts for 85 percent of deaths from lung cancer. 

How to schedule a lung screen 

Please ask your doctor for a referral for a lung cancer screening.

Medicare and most insurance carriers cover annual screenings for eligible patients. Your healthcare provider can check with your insurance to learn if you have coverage. 

How is the lung screen done?

The test is a quick and painless CT scan that uses a low dose of radiation to make detailed images of the lungs. 

Performing the scan before symptoms are present can identify lung cancer early— when it is easier to treat and more likely to be cured. The scan might also show other conditions or diseases (such as early-stage heart disease or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, that need to be treated. 

Why get a lung screen?

Lung cancer is:

• By far the leading cause of cancer death.
• The third most common cancer in the US.
• “Quiet” until it is relatively big or it has spread to other parts of the body (called “late stage”).

Unfortunately, most people are diagnosed with late-stage lung cancer. 

Preventive lung screenings: 

• Show early-stage lung cancer.
• Use new technology to diagnose cancer sooner.
• Enable early-stage lung cancers to be cured with surgery.

For more information, contact Diagnostic Imaging at 217-258-2141. To make an appointment, ask your primary care provider for a referral.