I’m Nervous About Lung Cancer Screening: What’s Involved?

Lung cancer is the second most common form of cancer in the United States, following skin cancer. Unfortunately, it’s also the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among American men and women. In 80-90% of lung cancer cases, smoking (tobacco use) is to blame. 

At Fivestar Pulmonary Associates in Allen, McKinney, and Plano, Texas, our seasoned team of board-certified pulmonologists offers regular lung cancer screenings for high-risk patients who don’t have symptoms of the disease but could potentially benefit from its early detection and treatment. 

If you’ve been advised to have your first lung cancer screening, don’t be nervous — this simple imaging test is quick, easy, and painless. Read on as Dr. Anthony Nebor, Dr. Asif Najmuddin, and Dr. Deepthi Gandhiraj discuss the ins and outs of lung cancer screening, including what to expect during your appointment. 

Basic facts about lung cancer screening

Lung cancer typically doesn’t cause symptoms until it’s more advanced and harder to treat. For otherwise healthy people who haven’t shown signs of the disease but are at a high risk of developing it, annual lung cancer screenings can mean the difference between early detection and potentially life-saving treatment, or an untimely death. 

While experts have used various lung cancer screening methods over the years, including standard chest X-rays, research shows that one specific technique — low-dose computed tomography — is most accurate for detecting lung cancer and saving lives. 

Lung cancer screening recommendations

Low-dose computed tomography, also known as a low-dose CT scan or LDCT scan, is the only recommended lung cancer screening test for symptom-free individuals who have a high risk of lung cancer. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends yearly LDCT scans for people who: 

• Have a 20 pack-year or greater smoking history, and
• Are current smokers or have quit within the past 15 years, and
• Are between the ages of 50-80, and
• Are in generally good health should treatment be necessary

USPSTF lung cancer screening guidelines further recommend that annual LDCT scans should discontinue at the age of 81, once someone hasn’t smoked for longer than 15 years, or if an emerging health problem would make treatment challenging. 

Your lung cancer screening appointment

An LDCT scan uses a very low dose of radiation (equivalent to the amount of background radiation you’re exposed to naturally in about six months) to take highly detailed 3D pictures of your chest and lungs. The scan is easy, painless, and over in a matter of minutes. 

Advanced preparation

LDCT testing is a quick outpatient procedure that requires very little advanced preparation — you won’t have any dietary or medication restrictions ahead of your appointment, and you can resume your normal activities as soon as your scan is over. 

If you don’t leave your jewelry at home, our team asks you to remove it (including jewelry in any piercings) for the scan. We may also ask you to change into a gown for the scan. 

During your scan 

During your LDCT scan, you lie flat on your back on the scanner table, which moves you in and out of the CT machine. If you’re claustrophobic, don’t worry — the CT machine isn’t a tight, enclosed tube like an MRI machine; instead, it’s an open, round donut-shaped X-ray machine that surrounds only the area of your body it’s scanning (your chest). 

We may need to calibrate the machine to your body before we administer the scan. Once we’re ready, the table slides you into the CT machine and begins scanning. To prevent blurring and attain the clearest possible 3D images, we ask you to hold your breath for short intervals (about 5-10 seconds) at various points in the scanning process. 

Waiting for your results

Most LDCT scans take a few minutes (typically no longer than half an hour) to complete. We usually read and analyze the images the same day, and provide results within 24 hours. It’s important to recognize that these screenings don’t diagnose lung cancer, they indicate whether there’s a need for further investigation. 

To determine whether further steps need to be taken, we rely on examination scoring with the Lung-RADS® Assessment, which goes from zero to four: 

• Incomplete (0): Lungs could not be properly evaluated (partially or fully)
• Negative (1): No nodules or only definitively benign nodules detected
• Benign appearance or behavior (2): Nodules with a very low likelihood of becoming cancerous detected
• Likely benign (3): Likely benign nodules detected; shorter-term follow-up suggested
• Suspicious (4A): Questionable nodules detected; additional diagnostic testing recommended
• Very suspicious (4B): Very irregular nodules detected; further testing or tissue sampling recommended

Our team goes over your results in detail and explains your options for next steps as needed. 

Learn more about lung cancer screening 

If you have questions about what to expect at your lung cancer screening, our expert team at Fivestar Pulmonary Associates can help. Call or click online to schedule a visit at our nearest office.