Are 50 to 80 years old (Medicare does not cover this screening for people over 77)
Smoked the equivalent of one pack of cigarettes per day for 20 years (two packs daily for 10 years, half pack daily for 40 years, etc.)
Currently smoke or have quit, regardless of when
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in U.S., but the most important — and modifiable — risk factor is cigarette smoking. In fact, it's the only other factor that qualifies you for lung cancer screening besides age. However, thanks to reductions in smoking and increases in screening, both the number of new cases and lung cancer-related deaths are decreasing.
Guidelines
Test or procedure
Lung Cancer
A low-dose CT scan (a more-detailed, 3D version of an x-ray) is recommended yearly