Breast and colorectal cancer screening rates nearly four-fold higher than lung cancer screening among those eligible: Study

“Our findings show that many individuals eligible for lung cancer screenings are open to receiving preventive care services. The data suggest that these individuals aren’t necessarily resistant to receiving cancer screenings-other factors are likely driving low rates of lung cancer screening,” said first author Alexandra Potter, a researcher in the Division of Thoracic Surgery at MGH. “These other factors may include difficulty assessing eligibility for lung cancer screening. In contrast to breast and colorectal cancer screening eligibility criteria, which are based on age alone, lung cancer screening eligibility criteria are more complex and include both age and multiple smoking history requirements. Challenges accessing lung cancer screening clinics are also likely an important factor driving low rates.”

The researchers concluded that many individuals eligible for lung cancer screening are already engaged in preventive care. They emphasized that their findings underscore the need for interventions to increase awareness of lung cancer screening and reduce barriers that prevent high-risk individuals from undergoing lung cancer screening.

“As a community, we need to work together to improve lung cancer screening awareness and address the notable barriers that currently make it challenging for high-risk individuals to get lung cancer screening,” said senior author Chi-Fu Jeffrey Yang, MD, of the Division of Thoracic Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system.

Reference:

Potter AL, Kothagundla S, Haridas C, Chang AEB, Sequist LV, Yang CJ. Preventive Health Care Use Among Adults Eligible for Lung Cancer Screening in the US. JAMA. Published online April 02, 2025. doi:10.1001/jama.2025.2157.