What to Expect During a Lung Cancer Screening

After skin cancer, lung cancer is the second most common cancer diagnosis among men and women in the United States. It’s also the top cause of cancer-related mortality, killing more Americans than colon, prostate, and breast cancers combined.

Notoriously hard to treat in its later stages, lung cancer is often curable when it’s caught and treated early. For the millions of people who are eligible for it, a lung cancer screening to detect early-stage lung cancer can be lifesaving. 

In this month’s blog, our team at Fivestar Pulmonary Associates takes a closer look at the lung cancer screening process, including screening guidelines and what to expect before, during, and after your imaging scan.

Lung cancer screening guidelines

Anyone can develop lung cancer, but one major risk factor — smoking — makes the diagnosis far more likely. In fact, smoking causes about 90% of all lung cancer cases, and smokers are 20 times more likely than non-smokers to get the disease.

Given its significant role as a risk factor for lung cancer, smoking history is a key part of screening guidance. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends an annual lung cancer screening for people who: 

• Have a smoking history of at least “20 pack years,” and
• Are current smokers, or have quit within the past 15 years, and
• Are between the ages of 50-80, and
• Are in good overall health should treatment be needed

Multiplying the number of packs of cigarettes you smoked per day by the number of years you smoked determines your smoking history “pack year.” A 20-pack-year smoking history can mean you smoked one pack a day for 20 years, two packs daily for 10 years, half a pack daily for 40 years, and so on. 

Other lung cancer risk factors that may warrant annual screenings include having a personal or family history of the disease, a diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and exposure to asbestos (usually on the job).

The screening process explained

Lung cancer screening uses a noninvasive, low-dose computerized tomography (LDCT) scan to spot abnormal areas in your lungs. For people with a higher lung cancer risk, having yearly LDCT scans increases the odds of finding a malignancy early, when it’s most treatable. 

Before your scan

Your appointment begins with a brief counseling session. Your doctor discusses your lung cancer risk, reviews the potential benefits and risks of screening, and explains what various results may mean. 

Leave jewelry at home (or be prepared to remove it) and wear comfortable clothes without metal (i.e., zippers, underwire). If your clothing has metal, you’ll change into a gown. You don’t need to fast or stop taking any medications before your scan.

During your scan

When you head into the screening room, you’ll see the LDCT machine, which is shaped like a large donut with a long table extending from its center opening. To get into position for your scan, you'll lie flat on your back on the table. 

From an adjoining room, an LDCT tech activates the machine, monitors you, and provides instructions. The table moves slowly into the scanner’s opening to scan your lungs and generate multiple detailed images. You may be asked to briefly hold your breath to ensure clear pictures. The scan itself is quick, lasting just a minute or two. 

After your scan 

You can resume your normal activities immediately after your LDCT scan. Your doctor will review the results (usually the same day) and discuss them with you within 24 hours.

It’s important to recognize that these screenings don’t diagnose lung cancer; they indicate whether there’s a need for further investigation. If the scan finds no concerning spots (lung nodules), your next step will likely be a repeat scan in a year. 

If nodules are discovered, the next steps depend on how they look (varying degrees of benign or suspicious in appearance). Your doctor may recommend another LDCT scan in a few months to check for growth, a more detailed PET scan, or a biopsy to determine if a nodule is cancerous. 

It’s also possible for the scan to detect other conditions that warrant intervention, such as emphysema or other lung and heart problems.

Early detection may save your life

Are you worried about your lung cancer risk? Get answers at Fivestar Pulmonary Associates in Allen, McKinney, and Plano, Texas. Fill out our lung cancer prescreening form today, then see our experts for an LDCT scan — it just might save your life.