Lung Cancer Screening

What is a Screening Test?

Lung Cancer Screening
Erlanger Cancer Institute
979 East 3rd Street
Chattanooga, TN 37403

Contact Lung Cancer Screening Coordinator
423-778-6617

For people at risk of a disease, a screening test can help detect signs of that disease before it has advanced enough to cause symptoms. This is important because diseases are easier to treat when detected early.

Are You at Risk for Lung Cancer?

The leading risk factor for lung cancer is smoking. According to the American Cancer Society, at least 80 percent of lung cancer deaths result from smoking. Learn the symptoms and other facts about lung cancer on our Lung Cancer webpage or download our "Get the facts" flier.

Benefits of Cancer Screening

Erlanger’s Diagnostic Radiologists can screen you for lung cancer using a low-dose computed tomography (CT) scan. CT scans combine x-ray views from multiple angles, creating a two-dimensional, cross-sectional image of your lungs. Having a lung cancer screening chest CT reduces the chance of dying from lung cancer in those at very high risk of developing lung cancer.

Eligibility for Lung Cancer Screening

To be a candidate for lung screening, you must be:

50 to 80 years old (50 to 77 for Medicare)
A smoker or a person who has quit smoking within the past 15 years
Have a smoking history of at least 20 "pack-years"- at least one pack per day for 20 years or two packs per day for 10 years.
Have no new symptoms that could be related to lung cancer
Be healthy enough to tolerate curative intent treatment for early stage lung cancer and have not had a chest CT in the last 12 months

What Is Involved in Lung Cancer Screening?

Erlanger's screening process has three steps:

CT scan: The CT scan is quick and painless. It uses a combination of x-rays and computer technology to create detailed images. You don’t have to worry about receiving too much radiation during screening. Our low-dose CT scan technology means you’ll experience about a quarter of the radiation emitted by standard CT scans.
Scan review: We will review your CT scan for abnormalities.
Results and follow-up: We will send findings from the CT scan and any recommendations for follow-up to you and your primary care doctor.

Drawbacks to Consider

Screening for lung cancer with a chest CT can find small spots in the lungs of at least 25 percent of all people who get the scan. These spots are called lung nodules. Only three or four out of 100 lung nodules found are cancer. The rest are small scars that will never affect your health.
There is no way to tell if many of these small lung nodules are scars or lung cancer without further tests. CT scans are usually done over time to see if the lung nodule grows. You might need a biopsy if the lung nodule is large enough.
Therefore, many people who are screened will have further tests without actually having lung cancer. The lung cancer screening program will talk with you about whether or not you need more tests. Lung cancer screening CTs use a very small dose of radiation to take pictures of your lungs. The dose of radiation is quite low (five times less than a standard chest CT scan). The effects of radiation from lung cancer screening are not known. The benefits are thought to outweigh any consequences.

Quitting Smoking

If you smoke, you can cut your risk of dying from lung cancer by quitting. We advise all smokers to quit. You can find help from your doctor or through counselors within our screening program.

Components of the UT Erlanger Lung Cancer Screening Program

Participation based on national health guidelines
Face-to-face discussion about the pros and cons of lung cancer screening to ensure shared decision making
Standardized low-dose chest CT
Chest CT interpretation by radiologists with expertise in chest imaging
Lung nodule evaluation care pathway by a multi-disciplinary team including specialists in pulmonary medicine, thoracic surgery, oncology nurse navigation, respiratory care services, and diagnostic radiology
Tobacco treatment experts integrated with the program through Respiratory Care Services
Experts in lung cancer diagnosis and treatment