A new study from Northwestern Medicine has revealed a major issue with current lung cancer screening guidelines.
Researchers found that only 35% of nearly 1,000 patients treated for lung cancer would have qualified for screening under current U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) rules. The other two-thirds—many of whom were women and never-smokers—would have been excluded.
Current guidelines recommend lung cancer screening only for adults ages 50 to 80 with a 20 pack-year smoking history who currently smoke or quit within the past 15 years. These narrow criteria leave out many people who are still at risk.
The study, published in JAMA Network Open, proposes expanding screening to include all adults between 40 and 85 years old, regardless of smoking history. According to researchers, this change could help detect 94% of lung cancers and prevent over 26,000 deaths every year.
Importantly, the study shows that this type of screening would be very cost-effective. The small risks from radiation or biopsies are greatly outweighed by the lives that could be saved.
Dr. Ankit Bharat, chief of thoracic surgery and executive director of the Northwestern Medicine Canning Thoracic Institute, explained that this broader approach is already used in other cancers. “We moved to universal age-based screening for breast and colon cancer with tremendous success, and we need to move to the same approach for lung cancer,” he said.
Lung cancer is the deadliest cancer in the U.S., causing more deaths than breast, colon, and prostate cancer combined. It accounts for one in five cancer deaths in both men and women.
What makes it especially dangerous is that nearly 80% of cases are found only in advanced stages, when it’s harder to treat. This is partly because symptoms don’t show up until the disease is already serious.
Many people believe that only smokers get lung cancer, but that’s not true. This misunderstanding, combined with strict screening rules, means that many people at risk don’t get tested early.
Researchers at the Canning Thoracic Institute believe that offering screening to everyone between 40 and 85 could fix this problem, save more lives, and reduce health inequalities.
In response to these findings, Northwestern Medicine launched the Lung Health Center at the Canning Thoracic Institute. The center promotes early detection of lung, heart, and bone conditions. They now encourage more patients to get screened and are studying how low-dose CT scans can help people who don’t meet the current screening guidelines.
These scans take less than 10 seconds, use no injected dyes, and provide a full picture of the chest. They can detect early signs of many conditions—including lung cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, and lung damage from COVID-19.
Dr. Bharat explained that many people are still suffering from long-term lung damage caused by COVID-19. Some patients who get reinfected are experiencing lung scarring and fibrosis, and the damage can worsen with each new infection. Early detection is key to preventing serious outcomes like needing a lung transplant.
The Lung Health Center is also looking beyond lung cancer. The same screening can identify coronary calcium, which shows a higher risk of heart disease. It can also spot early signs of osteoporosis, which is especially important for women’s health.
Dr. Momen Wahidi, another lung specialist at the center, said, “Instead of waiting for symptoms, we’re giving patients a full picture of their chest health that can help doctors make smarter choices for their care.”
The center encourages screening for many groups of people, including:
COVID-19 survivors with ongoing breathing problems
People exposed to wildfire smoke, pollution, or high radon levels
Those with a family history of lung disease or fibrosis
People who have been exposed to secondhand smoke, vaping, or marijuana
Asian women and others at higher risk
Anyone who wants a baseline scan of their chest health
Dr. Scott Budinger, chief of pulmonary and critical care, added, “We’re seeing younger patients with lung problems due to vaping, pollution, and COVID-19 who wouldn’t qualify under current screening rules. This approach helps us catch serious lung diseases years before they would normally be diagnosed.”
The study makes a powerful case: it’s time to rethink who gets screened for lung cancer. By expanding guidelines and using fast, low-dose scans, we may be able to save many more lives and improve care for millions of people.
If you care about lung health, please read studies about marijuana’s effects on lung health, and why some non-smokers get lung disease and some heavy smokers do not.
For more information about health, please see recent studies that olive oil may help you live longer, and vitamin D could help lower the risk of autoimmune diseases.
Copyright © 2025 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
