The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) is lauding the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) decision to provide coverage for annual lung cancer screening with low-dose CT for those at highest risk for lung cancer.
The final decision memo states that there is sufficient evidence to warrant annual lung cancer screening for patients most at risk for developing lung cancer, ASTRO said. Eligible patients are between the ages of 55 and 77, show no signs or symptoms of lung disease, have a smoking history of at least 30 pack-years, and are a current smoker or have quit within the past 15 years.
"This highly effective, annual screening is a critical and powerful tool that will enable us to diagnose patients earlier when treatments are most effective, and it will fortify our efforts to battle this destructive disease," ASTRO said.
