Some clinicians disappointed about lung cancer screening advice

the Oncology Nurse Advisor take:

Cancer screening in healthy people seems to be a simple thing, but that’s not so. Breast cancer screening can be controversial, with varying thoughts on recommendations. Now, lung cancer screening is questioned. Despite getting the nod from the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) for longtime smokers 55 to 79 years old, lung cancer screening is not fully embraced. A federal advisory committee recommended Medicare should not reimburse for lung cancer screening with CT. The USPSTF’s approval of the screening means insurance companies will be required to cover the screening in 2015 through the Affordable Care Act. The Medicare advisory committee cited potential false positives and radiation exposure as reasons against paying for the tests; however, the matter is not settled. A final decision is expected this fall.