© 2005-2012 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). All rights reserved worldwide.
This section has been reviewed and approved by the Cancer.Net Editorial Board, 5/2012
To help doctors give their patients the best possible care, the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) developed evidence-based recommendations on using computed tomography (CT) scans to screen for lung cancer in people who smoke or who have previously quit smoking. This guide for patients is based on the ACCP and ASCO recommendations.
Key Messages
- Lung cancer is more common in people who smoke, particularly those who smoke frequently or who have smoked for a long time.
- CT screening has been shown to lower the risk of death from lung cancer for heavy smokers, and the ACCP and ASCO recommend CT screening for certain people who smoke.
- Screening is not a replacement for quitting smoking. Quitting smoking is the only way to lower the risk of developing lung cancer.