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Too often, lung cancer is found after it has already spread to other parts of the body, making treatment harder and lowering chances of curing the disease. While the overall 5-year survival rate for late-stage lung cancer is around 10%, the survival rate jumps to about 65% when lung cancer is caught early. Detecting lung cancer early fundamentally transforms a patient’s lung cancer journey.
The good news is that early detection screening for lung cancer is available for people who meet the guidelines for elevated lung cancer risk.
At the same time, researchers, clinicians, and advocates are working to make early detection more accurate and more accessible to everyone who could benefit.
Standard Screening for Lung Cancer
In the United States, standard lung cancer screening involves monitoring of people who are at elevated risk for lung cancer but don’t have any symptoms. Lung cancer screening uses annual low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) scans for adults ages 50 to 80 who have at least a 20 pack-year smoking history and who currently smoke or quit within the past 15 years.
The power of LDCT screening is that we can find lung cancer in people early, before symptoms arise, when medical advancements offer a chance for a cure or for significantly improved survival. Nevertheless, lung cancer screening faces challenges that range from technical limitations to limited access and awareness of this cancer screening.
Reducing False-Positives. LDCT scans can detect nodules (spots on CT scans) that are not cancer, leading to unnecessary anxiety, testing, and financial costs.
The balance between benefiting people and burdening them unnecessarily remains an important part of screening conversations. More research is needed to develop new approaches that improve the accuracy of lung cancer screening results and reduce false positives.
Increasing Uptake. Another major challenge in detecting lung cancer early is ensuring people are screened for lung cancer. Even among those who are eligible, screening rates are low. Some studies estimate only 20% of eligible people in the US get screened for lung cancer. In addition, current eligibility guidelines exclude many who develop the disease, such as younger adults or those who’ve had light or negligible tobacco exposure.
Improving Access. In addition, studies show that lung cancer risk and screening access are not distributed evenly. Racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and geographic factors impact who receives lung cancer screening and timely follow-up care.
Technologies in Development to Improve Early Detection
Experts in the field agree that age and smoking history alone are not adequate to define lung cancer risk. Researchers are studying biomarkers that could support lung cancer screening in two different ways:
- Accurately identify high-risk people who should be screened for lung cancer
- Clarify whether a nodule seen on a scan is likely to be cancer
If we successfully build these tools, lung cancer screening could be used to monitor individuals at high risk for the disease, regardless of age and tobacco history. In addition, the results from the lung cancer screening would be more helpful in determining next steps.
On the imaging side, researchers are refining how CT scans are interpreted. Combining radiomics (computer aided analysis of CT scans) with artificial intelligence learning models may become a powerful way to improve risk assessment and reduce subjectivity when interpreting scan results.
Researchers are also testing blood- and breath-based approaches to screen for lung cancer. Liquid biopsy strategies being studied include circulating tumor cells, cell-free DNA, microRNAs, and combination approaches designed to detect cancer-associated signals before symptoms occur. Breath testing, based on volatile organic compounds, is another intriguing possibility.
LUNGevity Supports Early Detection & Screening
Through LUNGevity’s Translational Research Program, talented scientists receive support for early-detection research aimed at improving lung cancer screening and creating better tools to determine a person’s risk for developing lung cancer.
LUNGevity’s Early Lung Cancer Center (ELCC) complements this work by building practical solutions that help early detection technologies reach the people who need them most.
In its recent multistakeholder meeting, the ELCC discussed key gaps to be filled, such as improved follow-up for incidentally detected pulmonary nodules, the need for stronger patient navigation, and payment policies that support timely care. Through Translational Research and the ELCC, LUNGevity is working to turn early detection into routine care.
Preventing Lung Cancer from Taking Hold
Most lung cancer prevention efforts begin with smoking cessation, because avoiding or stopping tobacco exposure lowers lung cancer risk and improves overall health. But lung cancer prevention involves more than tobacco exposure.
A meaningful share of lung cancers occur in people without heavy smoking histories, which is why researchers are also studying air pollution, occupational and environmental exposures, inherited susceptibility, and the biological pathways that drive different forms of the disease. Better understanding of these factors could lead to more accurate risk models, more inclusive screening strategies, and ultimately fewer cancers diagnosed in the late stages.
One of the most exciting areas of cancer prevention research is called interception, which involves finding precancerous changes and stopping them before they turn into invasive cancer. Interception researchers are making progress in understanding the biology of premalignant lung lesions, the role of the immune system in early cancer development, and the possibility of future interventions such as immune-based prevention, vaccines, or other targeted approaches.
While this work is still being developed, it reflects a major shift in how cutting-edge scientists are thinking about this disease. We’re moving from reacting to cancer after it appears to interrupting the disease process before it takes hold.
Since 2017, LUNGevity Foundation and the American Lung Association have partnered on lung cancer interception research, a collaboration that aims to interrupt lung cancer development before it becomes a life-threatening disease.
Hope on the Horizon
The path to earlier, more curable lung cancer is becoming clearer. Low-dose CT screening is already saving lives, but it reaches too few people and still has gaps in eligibility and accessibility. Research in biomarkers, radiomics, noninvasive detection tests, and interception, offer hope for what comes next: earlier answers, more personalized care, and new ways to prevent lung cancer.
Through this work, the lung cancer community is bringing together science, policy, and patient advocacy to make early detection more routine, more equitable, and more effective. So that we can find lung cancer earlier and stop it in its tracks.
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