Years after he quit smoking, a lung cancer scan saved his life

A former Air Force medic and registered nurse who quit smoking in 2007 assumed he was in the clear, until a routine question at his annual Medicare wellness visit led to a low-dose CT scan that found an early lung cancer. KFF Health News tells his story as an example of what screening can do: caught early, his cancer was treatable, and he is alive years later to talk about it.

His experience is the exception, not the rule. Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death in the United States, with some 125,000 deaths expected this year, yet only about a quarter of eligible adults are up to date on the recommended yearly scans. A landmark trial showed annual low-dose CT screening cut lung cancer deaths by a fifth, and later European studies found even larger reductions, but uptake lags far behind other routine cancer checks.

Part of the problem is eligibility that many find confusing: adults ages 50 to 80 with a 20 pack-year smoking history who still smoke or quit within the past 15 years. Doctors say the arithmetic of pack-years is hard to pin down in a short visit, and the stigma around smoking can keep patients from mentioning their history. For readers in that age group with a smoking past, the practical takeaway is simple: ask your clinician whether a quick, painless scan is right for you.