10/10/2023
November is lung cancer awareness month!
Regular chest x-rays have been studied as a screening test for people at higher risk for lung cancer, but they haven't been shown to help most people live longer, and therefore they aren't recommended for lung cancer screening.
In recent years, a test known as a low-dose CT (LDCT) scan has been studied in people at higher risk of getting lung cancer (mainly because they smoke or used to smoke). LDCT scans can help find abnormal areas in the lungs that may be cancer.
Research has shown that unlike chest x-rays, yearly LDCT scans to screen people at higher risk of lung cancer can save lives. For these people, getting yearly LDCT scans before symptoms start helps lower the risk of dying from lung cancer.
