| Lung Cancer Screening |
| Recommendation for Screening | |
|---|---|
| Possibly for smokers | |
Three lung cancer screening tests exist: chest X-ray, sputum cytology, and spiral CT. All three can diagnose lung cancer, but none of them have been proven to improve outcomes as part of routine screening. Some current studies of spiral CT scans suggest that in the future these may be recommended for smokers, but again, past studies have not indicated that any of the three lung cancer screening devices improve outcomes.
It is estimated than in 2008 in the United States, over 160,000 people will die of lung cancer, making it the number one cancer killer in America at four times the death rate of the second leading cancer killer, breast cancer. In addition, an estimated 215,000 new cases of lung cancer are expected to arise in 2008. Most lung cancer (80-90%) is caused by cigarette smoking. Lung cancer incidence is directly related to the amount smoking in a person's lifetime. Other possible causes of lung cancer are radiation and pollution, though these cases are much rarer than smoking-related cases.
Chest X-ray: You may be asked to remove your jewelry and change into a hospital gown. Two images are typically taken of your lungs while you are standing up, and the process is painless.
Sputum cytology: You will be asked to cough and produce some sputum for cell analysis.
Spiral CT: The spiral CT scan also produces X-ray images so again you may be asked to remove your jewelry and change into a hospital gown. In this case, however, images are taken while you are lying down.
Chest X-ray and spiral CT: Since you will have to remove your jewelry and change into a hospital gown, you should dress appropriately.
Sputum cytology: No special instructions.