# Check lung screening eligibility Published by Pawel Jozefiak. [About this project](https://healthy100.jock.pl/about/), [How we check sources](https://healthy100.jock.pl/methodology/) - Canonical: https://healthy100.jock.pl/check-lung-screening/ - Language: en - First published: 2026-09-27 - Evidence checked: 2026-09-28, using AI-assisted source verification - Clinical review: Not clinically reviewed - Number 57 of 100 in the list: https://healthy100.jock.pl/#check-lung-screening For eligible people with a substantial smoking history, screening CT scans can reduce lung cancer deaths. **The number:** About 3 fewer lung cancer deaths per 1,000 screened in the NLST versus chest X-rays ([NIH NCI, 2014](https://www.cancer.gov/types/lung/research/nlst-qa)) ## The evidence - Evidence grade: A. Grade A: meta-analyses of randomised trials, or a major guideline consensus. - Basis: Large randomized screening trials and the USPSTF 2021 recommendation - Outcome: lung cancer deaths over about 6.5 years in the NLST - Comparison: Low dose CT versus chest X-rays in high risk adults aged 55 to 74 - Impact: 57/100. The impact score is an editorial prioritization heuristic for the general list, not a validated estimate of your personal risk. ## Why it matters Low dose CT can detect lung cancers while they are more treatable. In the NLST, screening produced about 3 fewer lung cancer deaths per 1,000 people than chest X-rays over an average of 6.5 years. The trial involved heavy current or former smokers aged 55 to 74, while the 2021 USPSTF eligibility criteria are broader. ## How to do it 1. Calculate your pack years: average packs per day multiplied by years smoked. 2. Discuss yearly low dose CT if you are 50 to 80 with at least 20 pack years and currently smoke or quit within the past 15 years. 3. Review false alarms, radiation and your ability to undergo treatment before deciding. 4. Use a screening programme that will arrange follow-up of any concerning finding. 5. In the EU there is no single agreed programme yet: the 2022 Council Recommendation asks countries to explore low dose CT for people at high risk. ## Talk to a clinician first Age and smoking status alone do not establish eligibility. A clinician must check pack years, time since quitting and fitness for treatment; national criteria differ. ## Putting it into practice ### Start now - 1 minute: Recall when you started smoking and, if you stopped, your quit year; these are key details for a screening discussion. - 5 minutes: Estimate packs per day multiplied by years smoked; if your smoking changed, list each period separately for your clinician. - 15 minutes: Read the screening guide and prepare your age, smoking history and quit date; ask about benefits, false alarms, radiation and local eligibility. ### What it looks like - For a smoking history of one pack a day for 20 years, tell the clinician you estimate 20 pack years. - Bring your quit date as well as your smoking history when asking about screening. ### Common mistakes - Age alone does not establish eligibility, so review smoking exposure and fitness for treatment with your clinician. - A scan can produce false alarms, so discuss follow-up and possible harms before deciding. ### A structured start **Make an informed screening decision** 1. Prepare your smoking history and ask about local eligibility. 2. Discuss benefits, harms and whether you could undergo treatment if needed. 3. If you choose screening with your clinician, use a programme that arranges follow-up. 4. Complete any follow-up and ask when screening should be repeated or stopped. ### Trusted how-to guides - [Screening for Lung Cancer](https://www.cdc.gov/lung-cancer/screening/index.html), CDC ## In Czechia In Czechia, the programme is for people aged 55 to 74 who smoke or used to smoke, with at least 20 pack-years. Your GP checks your history and refers you to a lung specialist, who arranges a low-dose CT. [Národní zdravotnický informační portál (NZIP)](https://www.nzip.cz/clanek/1547-rakovina-plic-prevence-screeningovy-program), checked 2026-09-28 ## In Germany In Germany, since April 2026 statutory insurance covers low-dose CT lung screening at 50 to 75 for people who smoked for at least 25 years and at least 15 pack years, with smoking breaks of no more than 10 years. A participating internist, GP or occupational physician checks eligibility. [Gemeinsamer Bundesausschuss](https://www.g-ba.de/themen/methodenbewertung/erwachsene/krebsfrueherkennung/lungenkrebs-screening/), checked 2026-09-28 ## In Spain In Spain, the Ministry of Health lists the current population cancer screening programmes as breast, colorectal and cervical cancer. Lung cancer screening is not among them. [Ministerio de Sanidad](https://www.sanidad.gob.es/areas/promocionPrevencion/cribado/cribadoCancer/home.htm), checked 2026-09-28 ## In Netherlands In the Netherlands, the national cancer screening programmes cover cervical, breast and bowel cancer. There is no national lung cancer screening programme. [RIVM](https://www.rivm.nl/bevolkingsonderzoeken-en-screeningen), checked 2026-09-28 ## In Poland In Poland, the programme offers a free low-dose CT at 55 to 74 to people with at least 20 pack-years who smoke or quit less than 15 years ago, and at 50 to 55 to those who also have additional risk factors. The screening centre doctor or your POZ doctor decides on qualification. [Narodowy Portal Onkologiczny](https://onkologia.pacjent.gov.pl/pl/kompendium-chorob-nowotworowych/pluco/metody-zapobiegania), checked 2026-09-28 ## In Ukraine In Ukraine, the National Cancer Institute offers free low-dose lung CT under a state programme to people aged 40 to 70 who have smoked for over 10 years or quit within the last 15 years. You fill in a short questionnaire, and a coordinator contacts those who meet the selection criteria. [Національний інститут раку](https://unci.org.ua/news/bezoplatne-nyzkodozove-kt-legen-dlya-kurtsiv), checked 2026-09-28 ## Sources - [Lung Cancer: Screening](https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/lung-cancer-screening), USPSTF, 2021 (Tier 1 guideline) - [National Lung Screening Trial: Questions and Answers](https://www.cancer.gov/types/lung/research/nlst-qa), NIH NCI, 2014 (Tier 1 guideline) - [Council Recommendation on a new EU approach on cancer screening](https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-14770-2022-INIT/en/pdf), Council of the European Union, 2022 (Tier 1 guideline) --- General health information, not a diagnosis or an individual treatment plan. Personalization changes the order of suggestions; it does not assess your medical risks. Follow the cautions and consult a qualified clinician when needed. Report an error: meet@jock.pl Reuse: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/