Organizations Recommending LDCT

Professional Societies and Organizations vary slightly in their recommendations.

These organizations all recommend LDCT for patients who have a 30 pack-year smoking history, currently smoke or have quit within the last 15 years.

The American Academy of Family Physicians has concluded that there is insufficient evidence to recommend screening.

Organization Age Considerations
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force 55-80 years Screening should be discontinued if patient develops a health problem that substantially limits life expectancy or the ability or willingness to have curative lung surgery
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 55-77 years The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services covers lung cancer screening with LDCT once per year and a visit for counseling and shared decision-making
  • Patients must receive a written order from a provider that meets certain requirements:
    • Documentation of a shared decision-making visit using decision aids to review potential benefits and harms and
    • Counseling on both adherence to annual lung cancer LDCT screening AND on the importance of maintaining cigarette smoking abstinence if former smoker or the importance of smoking cessation if current smoker
American Cancer Society 55-74 years Patients should be referred to a facility that uses “best practices” for CT screening
American Lung Association 55-74 years Informed and shared decision-making with a clinician should occur before any decision is made to initiate lung cancer screening
  • Smoking cessation counseling remains a high priority
  • Screening should not be viewed as an alternative to smoking cessation