Lung cancer screening guidelines were recently expanded. Here's why they could be life-saving
Rachel WegnerA 2019 Vanderbilt University Medical Center study was key in expanding lung screening guidelines, the hospital announced last month.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended two changes that will nearly double the number of people eligible for lung cancer screening, including:
- lowering the age from 55 to 50;
- and reducing the number of smoking history pack years from 30 to 20.
Pack years are determined by the number of years smoked, multiplied by the number of packs per day. For example, if someone smoked a pack a day for 30 years, they would have 30 pack years. A half a pack a day for 30 years would yield 15 pack years.
Dr. Kim Sandler, co-director of the Vanderbilt Lung Screening Program, said she hopes younger patients with a smoking history will seek out the painless, non-invasive scans. She cited a large body of evidence pointing to the benefits of expanding screening to younger people.
"The adjustment of these guidelines is an extremely important step that will allow us to screen earlier in order to continue to improve morbidity and mortality from lung cancer,” Sandler said in the release.
Study reveals racial disparity in screening, lung cancer survival
The 2019 Vanderbilt study also revealed a racial disparity in smokers who qualified for screenings. Among smokers diagnosed with lung cancer, 32% of African Americans versus 56% of whites were eligible for screening.
The old screening guidelines, issued in 2013, were based on a trial that revealed CT scans provided early detection of lung cancer and reduced deaths by 20% compared to those who got standard chest X-rays. However, Vanderbilt researchers found those guidelines may be too conservative for African Americans, possibly leading to later diagnoses and reduced odds of survival.
'I was speechless':Lung cancer survivor champions screening method Vanderbilt helped expand
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in Tennessee, according to CDC data.
Dr. Erin Gillaspie, a thoracic surgeon at Vanderbilt, is a passionate advocate for regular lung screening. She said the CT scan only has a minimal amount of radiation and that technological and research advances only increase the odds of successfully detecting and fighting lung cancer.
She sees the expanded screening guidelines as a sign of hope in the fight against cancer.
"We're living in one of the most extraordinary times in medicine," she said.
'Cancer doesn't wait for anybody'
Gillaspie said some may delay their CT lung screenings because of lingering fears or delays due to the coronavirus pandemic. But she said screenings continued as an essential service offered by Vanderbilt and other health care providers.
As the pandemic changed the way hospitals operated last year, Vanderbilt quickly adapted. It began offering virtual appointments, while keeping strict COVID-19 precautions in place at the hospital for those who came for screenings and treatment.
"Cancer doesn't wait for anybody," Gillaspie said. "Screening is life-saving."
For more information, call 615-322-0580 or email Shanna Joyner at shanna.l.joyner@vumc.org. More information on the Vanderbilt Lung Screening program can also be found at vumc.org/radiology/lung.
Patients outside the Vanderbilt system can consult with their primary health care provider and insurance program for the best screening options near them.
Find reporter Rachel Wegner at rawegner@tennessean.com or on Twitter @rachelannwegner.