Let’s Clear the Air About Lung Cancer Screening

Every cigarette shaves 11 minutes off your lifespan. When you quit smoking, you give yourself more time to do the things you enjoy with the people you love. The minute you stop smoking, you start lowering your risk for lung cancer — the leading cause of cancer deaths in adults.

A Timeline to Healthier Lungs

When you stop smoking, your lungs start to heal — right away. The American Cancer Society  offers reasons to quit:

• Twenty minutes after you quit, your heart rate and blood pressure start to drop.
• A few days later, the carbon monoxide in your blood drops to normal.
• Two to three weeks after quitting, your circulation is better and lung function starts to improve.
• One to 12 months in, coughing and shortness of breath ease. Your lungs continue to repair themselves.
• At one to two years smoke free, your risk of heart attack drops dramatically.
• Five to 10 years afterward, your risk for stroke is lower — along with the risk for mouth and throat cancer.
• Ten years after quitting, your risk of lung cancer is about half that of a person who's still smoking.

While quitting is one of the most important things you can do to lower your risk of lung cancer, there are other important steps you can take. Research shows that lung cancer screening can make a big difference in heavy cigarette smokers and former cigarette smokers.

Lung Cancer Screening

Lung cancer is stealthy. Often, there aren’t any symptoms until it has spread. After you quit, your risk for lung cancer stays elevated for 15 years. That’s why it’s important for smokers to quit as soon as possible.

For heavy, long-term current and former smokers, one screening is proving to be an important tool in the fight against lung cancer. Studies show that low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) scans are effective in detecting lung cancer early when it can be more successfully managed. LDCT lowers the risk of dying in heavy smokers.

Non-invasive LDCT scans look for certain abnormalities in the lungs. If a problem is found, additional testing will determine if it is lung cancer.

Who Should Get Screened?

The American Lung Association  says the LDCT is most effective in people who meet these criteria:

• Are 50-80 years old
• Smoke cigarettes now
• Smoked a pack a day for 20 years
• Smoked two packs a day for 10 years
• Quit smoking within the last 15 years

LDCT screening has risks. That's why it is only recommended for those at high risk for lung cancer. 

Don’t Skip Screening

Be proactive. Take these steps to protect your lungs and fight lung cancer.

Be honest about your smoking history. If you smoke now, smoked a pack a day for 20 years, or two packs a day for 10 years, get screened.

Get screened even if you’ve stopped smoking. You’re still at risk if you smoked one or two packs a day within the last 15 years.

Ask for the right kind of screening. Talk with your doctor about LDCT screening. Your doctor can advise you about your risk and whether it’s right for you. A doctor must refer you for an LDCT lung scan.

Keep it up. Experts advise smokers and former smokers between the ages of 50 and 80 to be tested each year. Screening should continue until 15 years have passed since the last cigarette — or until the age of 80.

Sources: Health Benefits of Quitting Over Time,  American Cancer Society, 2025; Screening for Lung Cancer,  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2026; Lung Cancer Screening,  National Cancer Institute, 2024; Is Lung Cancer Screening Right for Me?  American Lung Association