Monday, January 19, 2026 – Closed
In observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Monday, January 19, 2026 – Closed
In observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Lung cancer screening attempts to identify cancer before symptoms occur. Oncologists make a lung cancer diagnosis when cancer has been identified in the lung(s). Describing the stage of the cancer is a part of diagnostics that pinpoint the particular type of lung cancer, its severity, and metastasis (spread).
Oncologists screen for lung cancer in order to catch it at an early stage when it has been shown to be more treatable and can help reduce the risk of death. They also study lung cancer screening tests to help identify traits that put people at greater risk of getting lung cancer, as well as to refine the screening tests to reduce risks.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the only recommended screening test for lung cancer is a low-dose CT scan (LDCT). In this test, a special X-ray machine scans the body, and a linked computer generates detailed images.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends annual scanning for people who are heavy smokers (a pack of cigarettes a day for 20 years or the equivalent) or have been in the past 15 years and if they are age 50-80. Sputum cytology tests (lab analysis of mucus from the lung) may also be part of the screening.
In 2011, a study of 53,454 current and former smokers known as the National Lung Screening Trial found that participants who had LDCT screenings reduced their risk of death by 15 to 20 percent over participants who received standard chest X-rays.
However, there are multiple risks related to any kind of screening, including:
Patients should discuss these issues and other implications of screening with their physicians before undergoing any screening for lung cancer.
As oncologists, we unfortunately often see patients whose diagnosis of lung cancer occurred too late for it to be cured. To make a difference, cCARE believes that we need to increase our efforts to identify the disease early.
Individuals who wish to be screened can contact us directly or have their doctor refer them. Once patients are at the clinic they will be evaluated to see if they are candidates for screening and will be counseled on the screening process.
In a screening procedure being conducted for an unrelated reason, the physician may detect abnormalities appearing on an MRI, CT scan or PET scan (see definitions below) and subsequently order a biopsy of the abnormal area. Or a doctor may follow up on symptoms of lung cancer such as intense and persistent coughing and order a biopsy.
In a biopsy, a healthcare professional passes a needle through the skin into the lungs to sample a small piece of the affected area. In other cases, a physician may perform a bronchoscopy, inserting a small tube with a tiny camera through the nose or mouth while the patient is under sedation to view and remove tissue. This biopsy sample is tested in the laboratory, which determines if there is cancer, what type of cancer it is and how far it has advanced.
After a diagnosis of lung cancer, a patient may undergo staging tests to show the extent of the disease and whether it has metastasized. Staging tests include the following.
There are two types of lung cancer: non-small cell and small cell. About 85 percent of lung cancers are of the non-small-cell type. The stages of non-small cell lung cancer are as follows.
Only about 15 percent of lung cancer cases are the small-cell type. While this kind of tumor grows more quickly than the large-cell variety, it also responds better to chemotherapy.
Lung cancer screening attempts to identify cancer before symptoms occur. Oncologists make a lung cancer diagnosis when cancer has been identified in the lung(s). Describing the stage of the cancer is a part of diagnostics that pinpoint the particular type of lung cancer, its severity, and metastasis (spread).
Oncologists screen for lung cancer in order to catch it at an early stage when it has been shown to be more treatable and can help reduce the risk of death. They also study lung cancer screening tests to help identify traits that put people at greater risk of getting lung cancer, as well as to refine the screening tests to reduce risks.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the only recommended screening test for lung cancer is a low-dose CT scan (LDCT). In this test, a special X-ray machine scans the body, and a linked computer generates detailed images.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends annual scanning for people who are heavy smokers (a pack of cigarettes a day for 20 years or the equivalent) or have been in the past 15 years and if they are age 50-80. Sputum cytology tests (lab analysis of mucus from the lung) may also be part of the screening.
In 2011, a study of 53,454 current and former smokers known as the National Lung Screening Trial found that participants who had LDCT screenings reduced their risk of death by 15 to 20 percent over participants who received standard chest X-rays.
However, there are multiple risks related to any kind of screening, including:
Patients should discuss these issues and other implications of screening with their physicians before undergoing any screening for lung cancer.
As oncologists, we unfortunately often see patients whose diagnosis of lung cancer occurred too late for it to be cured. To make a difference, cCARE believes that we need to increase our efforts to identify the disease early.
Individuals who wish to be screened can contact us directly or have their doctor refer them. Once patients are at the clinic they will be evaluated to see if they are candidates for screening and will be counseled on the screening process.
In a screening procedure being conducted for an unrelated reason, the physician may detect abnormalities appearing on an MRI, CT scan or PET scan (see definitions below) and subsequently order a biopsy of the abnormal area. Or a doctor may follow up on symptoms of lung cancer such as intense and persistent coughing and order a biopsy.
In a biopsy, a healthcare professional passes a needle through the skin into the lungs to sample a small piece of the affected area. In other cases, a physician may perform a bronchoscopy, inserting a small tube with a tiny camera through the nose or mouth while the patient is under sedation to view and remove tissue. This biopsy sample is tested in the laboratory, which determines if there is cancer, what type of cancer it is and how far it has advanced.
After a diagnosis of lung cancer, a patient may undergo staging tests to show the extent of the disease and whether it has metastasized. Staging tests include the following.
There are two types of lung cancer: non-small cell and small cell. About 85 percent of lung cancers are of the non-small-cell type. The stages of non-small cell lung cancer are as follows.
Only about 15 percent of lung cancer cases are the small-cell type. While this kind of tumor grows more quickly than the large-cell variety, it also responds better to chemotherapy.