Lung Cancer Screening

Early detection can save lives, especially for current and former smokers.

If you are a current or former smoker, you’re at risk for lung cancer. If doctors find the disease early, when the tumor is located only in the lungs, up to 75 percent of people survive five years or more. Many of these patients are cured.

The gold standard for identifying lung cancer early uses computed tomography (CT) scans. Henry Ford Health System was part of a national study that found CT lung screening reduced the chance of dying from lung cancer by 20 percent, compared with chest X-ray screening.

Henry Ford’s Lung Cancer Screening Clinic

Henry Ford's specialized Lung Cancer Screening Clinic screens people to identify potential lung cancer as early as possible.

The clinic brings patients together with pulmonologists, nurse practitioners, nurses and smoking cessation counselors. We work together with radiologists, oncologists, surgeons and other cancer specialists to help you manage your health condition and achieve your health goals.

Should I have a CT scan to check for lung cancer?

We work with you and your doctor to see if early-detection screening makes sense for you. Not all current or former smokers need a CT scan to screen for lung cancer. We recommend CT scans for people who:

Are 55 to 77 years old (some insurance plans cover patients up to 80 years old)
Currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years
Have smoked at least a pack a day for 30 years or more, or the equivalent (for example, you may have smoked two packs a day for 15 years)
Have not had a chest CT scan within the last 12 months

Should I Get Screened?

Not everyone needs to be screened for lung cancer. Find out if you're at risk and need to schedule a screening.

Learn More

Lung Cancer Screening

Eligible for a Lung Cancer Screening?
Contact our team and we we’ll schedule you an appointment

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What is involved with having a low-dose CT scan for lung cancer?

We offer a comprehensive screening process, centered on your needs. Generally, it involves:

Scheduling: Most often, we will contact you to schedule a screening if you are eligible. You or your doctor also can call us to schedule a screening. Most insurance companies do not charge copay or deductible for the lung cancer screening.
Informed decision-making meeting: The day of your screening, our dedicated nurse practitioners meet with a group of six to 10 patients at a time to explain the process and answer questions. Once we have answered all your questions, we’ll walk you to your screening.
CT scan: The CT scan is quick and painless. It uses a combination of X-rays and computer technology to create detailed images. You don’t have to worry about receiving too much radiation during screening. Our low-dose CT scan technology means you’ll experience about a quarter of the radiation emitted by standard CT scans.
Results and follow-up: We will review your scan results and send the findings to your primary doctor. Your doctor will discuss your results with you. We’ll also share any other concerns we identify, such as potential heart or blood vessel problems.
Additional tests: If the scan shows something suspicious, we may ask you to return for follow-up screening in a few months. If we spot an abnormality, our team can work with you to immediately schedule a positron emission tomography (PET) scan and other follow-up procedures.
Ongoing screening: Screening for lung cancer is a process, not a single test. Individuals who qualify should have a yearly CT scan as long as necessary. We usually recommend annual screening until people have gone 15 years without smoking tobacco.

Get help to quit smoking

The No. 1 way to reduce your risk for lung cancer is not to smoke tobacco. If you already use tobacco, you can lower your lung cancer risk if you quit smoking.

Ready to quit? Our tobacco treatment services can start you on the journey to a tobacco-free life.

Are you eligible for lung cancer screening?

If you have questions about eligibility or want to learn more, call us at (313) 916-1275 or contact our team.