NEW YORK, Nov 2, (Agencies): The American Cancer Society has expanded its guidelines for lung cancer screening, recommending nearly 5 million more individuals to undergo screening. Previously, the society advised annual screening for adults aged 55 to 74 with a significant smoking history, whether current smokers or those who quit within 15 years. Now, the updated guideline removes the requirement to consider years since quitting smoking. It recommends annual screening for current or former smokers aged 50 to 80 with at least a 20-pack-year smoking history (where one pack a day for a year equals one pack-year). The updated guideline also discourages using the duration of years since quitting smoking as a screening criterion for former smokers who meet the age and pack-year criteria.

Dr. William Dahut, the chief scientific officer for the American Cancer Society, stated that the previous focus on years since quitting smoking was confusing. The new recommendations align with the fact that lung cancer risk remains high in people aged 60 and above. The American Cancer Society estimates that these updated guidelines could prevent 21% more lung cancer deaths compared to the previous recommendations.

The organization's last update to its lung cancer screening guideline was in 2013. The significant change in the updated guideline is the elimination of the "years since quit" factor. As long as an individual meets the age and pack-year criteria (20 or more pack-years between ages 50 and 80 and in reasonably good health), they are now eligible for screening according to the new guidelines.

The US Preventive Services Task Force, another organization providing cancer screening recommendations, had previously suggested that lung cancer screening should apply to current smokers and those who quit within the last 15 years. However, the American Cancer Society's updated guidelines reflect newer modeling evidence indicating that lung cancer risk persists beyond 15 years for individuals with a heavy smoking history.

Only about 10% to 15% of eligible individuals in the United States have undergone lung cancer screening. The updated American Cancer Society guideline aims to raise awareness and encourage eligible individuals, especially those in Black and Brown communities at higher risk, to consider screening.

Lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, can be detected through low-dose computed tomography (CT) scans. Early detection through CT scans is associated with a reduced risk of death from the disease.

Dr. Raja Flores, chair of thoracic surgery at Mount Sinai Health System, considers the updated screening recommendations a long-awaited development. He suggests that factors other than smoking, such as family history and asbestos exposure, should also be incorporated into screening guidelines. The most common misconception about lung cancer is that it is a death sentence, whereas early detection through screening can save many lives.