Majority of current and former smokers don't get recommended lung cancer screenings

The majority of those who ought to be getting annual lung cancer screenings aren't getting them, according to a new CDC analysis. Among those ages 55-80, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends annual screenings for current smokers or those who quit in the past 15 years and who have a history of smoking at least 30 packs of cigarettes a year. But according to data on screening collected by 10 states in 2017, around 12% of adults met the USPTF criteria, but only a small fraction of those individuals actually got a CT scan in the previous year to screen for cancer. Of the 10 states that reported the data, Florida had the highest rate of lung cancer screenings, with 16% reporting having had CT scans. The data is only from a minority of states, but indicate a need for better public health initiatives to educate people about screening, according to the report.