Many medical organizations have been recommending lung cancer screening for decades for those at high risk of developing the disease.
But in 2022, less than 6% of people in the U.S. eligible for screening actually got screened. Compared with other common cancer screenings, lung cancer screening rates fall terribly behind. For comparison, the screening rate in 2021 for colon cancer was 72%, and the rate for breast cancer was 76%. Why are lung cancer screening rates so poor?
I am a pulmonologist who specializes in screening and diagnosing lung cancer. In my research to improve early detection of lung cancer, I’ve found that numerous complex barriers hinder the widespread adoption of lung cancer screening.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in the world. But early detection can significantly improve outcomes.
Survival rates for early stage lung cancer are nearly seven times higher than lung cancer that has ...
