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It is now recommended that physicians discuss lung cancer screening with people who meet certain criteria that put them at higher risk for developing lung cancer.

The recommendations are based on the National Lung Screening Trial study, of which Penn Medicine was a part.

About the National Lung Screening Trial

The National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) compared two ways of detecting lung cancer in high-risk smokers: low-dose helical computed tomography (CT) and standard chest X-ray.

The study aimed to find whether it is possible to detect lung cancers at an earlier more treatable stage such that there would be a decrease in cancer deaths.

Drew Torigian, MD, MA, associate professor of radiology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, served as the site principal investigator at Penn for this national study, which involved more than 53,000 patients in 33 different sites.

The results were encouraging.

CT scanning detected significantly more cancerous and pre-cancerous lesions than chest X-rays. However, finding lesions isn't enough. The study had to demonstrate that early detection actually saved lives. Preliminary results of the study showed 87 more lives were spared by helical CT as compared to chest X-ray screening, which translates into a 20 percent reduction in the death rate.

New Guidelines for Lung Cancer Screening in Heavy Smokers 

The new guidelines recommend doctors discuss lung cancer screening with high risk patients between the ages of 55 to 74 years and who are in fairly good health.

Patients must have a smoking history equivalent to a pack a day for 30 years, and currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years.

If people decide to be screened, the recommendation specifies that testing should be done with a low dose computed tomography (CT) scan and take place at a facility with experience in lung cancer screening. And it emphasizes that screening is not a substitute for quitting smoking. The most effective way to lower lung cancer risk is to stay away from tobacco.

Learn more about the National Lung Screening Trial, and treatment for lung cancer at Penn.