Understanding Lung Cancer

Can I lower my risk of lung cancer? Screening and prevention

Last updated and reviewed on May 15, 2026. 

Lung cancer screening is a way to check your lungs for signs of cancer before you have any symptoms. You might feel perfectly fine with no cough or pain, and that is exactly the right time to be checked. When cancer is found early, it is much easier to treat, and the chances of surviving are much higher.

Think of it like a smoke detector; it does not wait for a house to be on fire before it goes off. It catches the danger early, when you can still do something about it. Lung cancer screening works the same way.

Screening does not mean you have cancer. It just means you and your doctor are being careful and proactive. Most people who are screened do not have cancer. But for the ones who do, finding it early can be life-saving.

What is lung cancer screening?

Recent changes to the lung cancer screening guidelines encourage men ages 55 to 69 to discuss with their doctor if they should be screened for lung cancer. These guidelines are currently being reviewed by the United States Preventive Services Taskforce. 

Talk to your doctor about lung cancer screening, which tests you should have and how often, and what your results will mean for you. 

Types of lung cancer screening tests

Right now, the only recommended test for lung cancer screening in the United States is the low-dose CT scan (LDCT). It is the gold standard, meaning it is the best tool doctors currently have for finding lung cancer early.

You may have heard of a regular chest X-ray. While chest X-rays are used for many things, studies have shown they are not effective enough for lung cancer screening. They miss too many early cancers that a low-dose CT scan would catch. Because of this, a regular chest X-ray is not recommended as a screening tool for lung cancer.

The LDCT scan is done at a hospital or imaging center. You lie on a table, the machine moves around you, and the whole scan takes less than 10 minutes. You do not need to do anything special to prepare. There is no pain and no recovery time — you can go about your day right after.

It is important to go to a center with experience in lung cancer screening when you can. Doctors who review these scans regularly are better at spotting early signs of cancer and at telling the difference between something harmless and something that needs a closer look. Your primary care doctor can help refer you to the right place.

When should you start screening for lung cancer?

Not everyone needs to be screened for lung cancer. Screening is recommended for people who are at higher risk, mainly because of their age and smoking history.

According to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), the leading group of health experts that makes these decisions, you should get screened every year if all three of the following apply to you:

• You are between 50 and 80 years old

• You have smoked at least 20 pack-years (see below for what this means)

• You currently smoke, or you quit smoking within the last 15 years

A "pack-year" is a way of measuring how much someone has smoked over their lifetime. One pack-year equals smoking one pack of cigarettes per day for one year. So if you smoked one pack a day for 20 years, that is 20 pack-years. If you smoked two packs a day for 10 years, that is also 20 pack-years.

Screening should be stopped if you have not smoked for more than 15 years, or if you develop a serious health condition that would make lung surgery too risky. Your doctor will help you decide what makes sense for your situation. If you are not sure whether you qualify, just ask — it is always worth the conversation.

Reducing your risk of lung cancer through lifestyle changes

Screening finds cancer early, but prevention stops it from starting. There are several things you can do in your daily life to meaningfully lower your risk ¹.

Quit smoking (or never start). This is by far the most important thing. Cigarette smoking is linked to about 80% to 90% of lung cancer deaths in the United States. People who smoke are 15 to 30 times more likely to get lung cancer than people who do not smoke. Even smoking just a few cigarettes a day raises the risk. The good news: quitting works. The sooner you quit, the faster your risk starts to go down. Talk to your doctor about medications, patches, counseling, or programs that can help. Resources like smokefree.gov are also free and easy to use.

Test your home for radon. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, responsible for an estimated 21,000 deaths every year. Radon is a naturally occurring gas that comes from rocks and soil. You cannot see it, smell it, or taste it — but it can build up inside homes through cracks in the floor or foundation. Testing your home is easy and inexpensive, and kits are available at hardware stores. If levels are high, a contractor can fix the problem. If you also smoke, your risk from radon is even higher — the two together are much more dangerous than either one alone.

Avoid secondhand smoke. Breathing in other people's smoke also causes lung cancer. If you live or work around smokers, try to reduce your exposure as much as possible. Ask your home to be smoke-free.

Protect yourself at work. Some workplaces expose people to harmful chemicals like asbestos, arsenic, diesel exhaust, and certain forms of silica or chromium. If you work in an environment with these substances, make sure you follow all safety guidelines and use proper protective equipment. For many of these chemicals, the danger is even greater for people who also smoke.

Avoid air pollution when possible. Long-term exposure to outdoor air pollution also raises lung cancer risk. On days when the air quality is poor, try to limit time spent outdoors, especially exercising outside.