SEVEN NEWS. LUNG CANCER REMAINS THE LEADING CAUSE OF CANCER RELATED DEATH IN THE UNITED STATES. AS MEDICAL EXPERT DOCTOR RAMO EXPLAINS, RECENT GUIDELINE CHANGES COULD HELP SAVE THOUSANDS OF LIVES. LUNG CANCER IS A DEADLY DISEASE. THE EARLIEST SYMPTOMS ARE COUGH, COUGHING UP BLOOD, WEIGHT LOSS AND SHORTNESS OF BREATH. BUT UNFORTUNATELY, WHEN THOSE SYMPTOMS COME, THE DISEASE IS OFTEN PROGRESSED TO THE POINT WHERE IT CANNOT BE CURED. THE US PREVENTATIVE HEALTH SERVICE TASK FORCE HAS RECOMMENDED IN 2022 THAT INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE SMOKERS WHO SMOKED MORE THAN 20 PACK YEARS, OR IF THEY QUIT SMOKING FOR LESS THAN 15 YEARS, THEY SHOULD HAVE AN ANNUAL SIMPLE CT SCAN OF THE CHEST TO DETECT THE EARLY CANCERS. AND IF YOU’RE A SMOKER, YOU SHOULD TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT GETTING THIS TEST ANNUALLY. IF YOU FALL INTO THAT CATEGORY. BECAUSE EARLY DETECTION WILL DRAMATICALLY IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES FOR SURVIVAL. FOR HEALTHBEA
Early detection of lung cancer can save smokers’ lives
Waiting until symptoms appear can greatly reduce survival chances
Updated: 7:12 PM MDT Aug 12, 2025
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Smoking can be hard to stop, and smokers can be in denial about the danger of not doing so.But as KOAT health expert Dr. Barry Ramo will tell you, waiting until you are coughing, coughing up blood, or having trouble breathing can mean you waited too long.Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in the U.S., but recent guidelines, if followed, can make it possible for smokers to avoid becoming part of that statistic. The American Cancer Society says that stopping smoking before a cancer develops gives your damaged lung tissue a chance to gradually repair itself.”The U.S. Preventive Task Force has recommended that if individuals who are smokers who have smoked more than 20 years, or if they quit smoking for less than 15 years, they should have an annual CT scan of the chest to detect the early cancers,” Ramo said. “If you’re a smoker, you should talk to your doctor about getting this test annually if you fall into this category, because early detection will dramatically improve your chance for survival.”For help quitting smoking, see How to Quit Using Tobacco or call the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345.
Smoking can be hard to stop, and smokers can be in denial about the danger of not doing so.
But as KOAT health expert Dr. Barry Ramo will tell you, waiting until you are coughing, coughing up blood, or having trouble breathing can mean you waited too long.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in the U.S., but recent guidelines, if followed, can make it possible for smokers to avoid becoming part of that statistic. The American Cancer Society says that stopping smoking before a cancer develops gives your damaged lung tissue a chance to gradually repair itself.
“The U.S. Preventive Task Force has recommended that if individuals who are smokers who have smoked more than 20 years, or if they quit smoking for less than 15 years, they should have an annual CT scan of the chest to detect the early cancers,” Ramo said. “If you’re a smoker, you should talk to your doctor about getting this test annually if you fall into this category, because early detection will dramatically improve your chance for survival.”
For help quitting smoking, see How to Quit Using Tobacco or call the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345.
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