When Diane scheduled her annual checkup, she expected a routine conversation about staying healthy.
At 58, she was focused on enjoying life. She spent time with family, stayed active, and looked forward to weekends spent exploring local shops and restaurants throughout South Jersey. Years earlier, she had quit smoking and felt proud of the healthy choices she had made since.
During her appointment, her doctor asked about her smoking history and bought up something Diane had never considered: lung cancer screening
Like many people, Diane assumed because she felt well, there was nothing to check in on. She wasn’t experiencing symptoms and hadn’t given much thought to her lung health beyond actively smoking. What she didn’t realize was that screening is designed for people who feel healthy. In fact, eligibility is often based on age and smoking history, not the presence of symptoms.
That conversation opened Diane’s eye to something many people don’t know: lung cancer screening is an important part of annual preventive healthcare.
Just as annual physicals, blood work, and mammograms help people take a proactive approach to their health, low-dose CT lung screening can help eligible adults monitor their lung health. After all, your lungs are for life. Every breath supports the activities, relationships, and moments that make life meaningful.
Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer related death in the United States, yet awareness around annual screening is relatively low, with screening rates significantly less than those of other common cancer screenings. Millions of Americans meet eligibility guidelines for annual screening low-dose CT lung screening, but many have never discussed it with their doctor.
The good news is that learning about your eligibility is simple. Current screening guidelines recommend low-dose CT lung screening to individuals who meet all the following criteria:
- Women or men age 50 to 77 years, and
- Current smoker or have quit within the last 15 years, and
- Asymptomatic (no signs of symptoms of lung cancer), and
- Tobacco smoking history of at least 20 pack-years (i.e. 1 pack per day for 20 years)
For Diane, the conversation was a reminder that preventive healthcare is about more than addressing problems. It’s about understanding your risks, asking your doctor questions, and taking advantage of advancements in imaging for early detection.
If you have a history of smoking, talk with your doctor about whether lung cancer screening may be right for you. It could be one of the most important conversations you have this year.
