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Lung Cancer Screenings and Tests

For many diseases and conditions, regular screening makes sense.

Lung cancer is the number one cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. More people die from lung cancer every year than from breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers combined.

In many cases, early detection can reduce the risk of death from lung cancer.

Is Lung Cancer Screening for Me?

If you meet all of the criteria below, you should receive a lung cancer screening:

  • You're between the ages of 50 to 77.
  • You're a current smoker or a former smoker who quit within the past 15 years.
  • You have a 20 pack-year history of smoking (one pack per day for a year equals a pack-year).

At your lung cancer screening, you will meet with a respiratory therapist and have a low-dose CT chest scan, which takes about two to three minutes. Low-dose CT scans can reduce mortality from lung cancer by up to 20 percent for eligible, high-risk individuals. Visit the UPMC Lung Cancer Screening Program website to learn more and see a list of locations.

Other tests for diagnosing lung cancer may include:

  • Endobronchial ultrasound to take pictures of the lung.
  • Needle biopsy to remove a small piece of tissue from the tumor.
  • Imaging scans to produce detailed pictures of the lung.

Contact Us About Lung Cancer Care

To learn more about lung cancer care or to make an appointment, you can:

Importance of Cancer Screenings

Q&A: What Is the Importance of Cancer Screenings?

Dr. David Seastone sat down for a quick Q&A about the importance of cancer screenings.

Learn more from UPMC HealthBeat.