Advocates Fight for Expanded Lung Cancer Screening Guidelines

Lung cancer screening advocates are calling for expanded U.S. guidelines to include nonsmokers with risk factors such as family history and environmental exposures.

In a new NPR report experts highlighted that lung cancer kills approximately 125,000 Americans annually, and roughly half of those diagnosed are ineligible for screening under current guidelines, which focus on smoking history.

Fewer than 20% of eligible individuals undergo screening. Advocates say risk-based eligibility could help detect more cases earlier, reduce stigma surrounding the disease and improve prevention efforts. Read more from NPR here.