Lung cancer screening is the best way to find lung cancer early, when it is easier to treat. However, only about 18% of eligible people in the U.S. have ever been screened for lung cancer. While screenings for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer are widely adopted, lung cancer screening, despite saving lives, remains underutilized for eligible individuals.
“Finding lung cancer early is so important,” said Melinda Aldrich, PhD, MPH, of Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. “Overall five-year survival for lung cancer is 28%. For patients who are diagnosed at a late stage, just 10% are alive five years later. But for those who are diagnosed at an early stage, the five-year survival rate jumps to 65%."
There are many reasons as to why so few people are screened for lung cancer. Barriers include not knowing about screening, difficulty accessing screening centers, lung cancer stigma, and fears about the screening process. These barriers affect people across the U.S. and are often greater for people who are underinsured and living in rural areas and communities with limited access to health care services.
To be eligible for lung cancer screening, the United States Preventive Task Force (USPSTF) recommends annual screening for lung cancer with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) in adults aged 50 to 80 years who have a 20 pack-year smoking history and currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years. Dr. Aldrich is exploring whether offering a simple blood test to screen could encourage more people to participate in lung cancer screening.
With support from American Lung Association Research Institute’s Lung Cancer Discovery Award, Dr. Aldrich is studying whether eligible patients at a community health clinic who decline a low-dose CT lung cancer screening would agree to have a screening blood test. “We are trying to make lung cancer screening more accessible, which we hope will save lives,” said Dr. Aldrich.
Her study is being conducted at a community health clinic in West Memphis, Arkansas, a majority-Black city with a population of approximately 23,000 people.
Benefits of Low-Dose CT-Scan
In 2011, the New England Journal of Medicine published results from a large clinical trial that found participants who received low-dose CT scans had a 20% lower risk of dying from lung cancer than those who received standard chest X-rays.
About a decade later, the U.S. Preventive Services Taskforce (USPSTF) issued updated guidelines recommending annual screening for lung cancer with low-dose CT for adults ages 50 to 80 years with a 20 pack-year smoking history and who currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years.
A low-dose CT is a special kind of X-ray that takes multiple images as a person lies on a table that slides in and out of the machine. A computer then combines these images to create a detailed picture of the lungs. The scan takes only a few minutes, is non-invasive, and uses a low dose of radiation, yet it can provide healthcare providers with critical information that may help save a patient’s life. “Based on the CT, the doctor will determine if there’s a suspicious nodule that needs to be followed up,” Dr. Aldrich said. “The low-dose CT is still the standard of care for lung cancer screening.”
Despite its proven benefits and coverage under most health insurance plans, many eligible patients are hesitant to receive a low-dose CT scan when they are offered it. “Although low-dose CT has been available for a number of years, it’s still an unfamiliar test for many people,” Dr. Aldrich explained. Although some patients complete a low-dose CT scan once, many do not return for annual screening as recommended.
Blood tests are more familiar and easier for many people, which Dr. Aldrich believes may encourage greater participation in lung cancer screening. The blood test in the study looks for cancer-associated DNA fragments in the bloodstream. “The blood test doesn’t replace low-dose CT,” Dr. Aldrich said. “If the blood test shows possible signs of lung cancer, then the patient and doctor can discuss whether low-dose CT would be an appropriate next step.”
As part of the study, Dr. Aldrich will also gather patients’ feedback on their views of both low-dose CT and blood-based screening tests. She will conduct focus groups to explore patients’ concerns and attitudes about the lung cancer screening process.
“This grant allows us to understand and improve the uptake of screening within a community clinic population,” she said. “We want to make sure we are not just bringing lung cancer screening to well-resourced hospitals, but also to community centers. We want to bring this lifesaving screening approach to high-risk patients who really need it.”
Learn more about lung cancer screening at SavedByTheScan.org
Blog last updated: February 10, 2026
