What’s the purpose of this study?

NLST is a lung cancer screening trial. Screening means testing people to detect a disease before it causes symptoms.

The purpose of NLST is to compare two ways of detecting lung cancer:

• standard chest X-ray and
• spiral computed tomography (CT) scan

Both chest X-rays and spiral CT scans are used in an effort to find lung cancer early. So far, neither chest X-rays nor spiral CT scans have been shown to reduce a person’s chance of dying from lung cancer. This study aims to show which test is better at reducing deaths from this disease.

Lung cancer research is a high priority for the National Cancer Institute. NCI is supporting NLST at more than 30 locations throughout the United States. NLST is a vital part of the effort to reduce the toll of lung cancer.

Why should you consider participating?

NLST offers participants:

• The possibility of detecting a small lung cancer that may still be curable
• The chance to contribute to medical research and to help others and future generations
• Referrals to smoking cessation resources if you want to quit

Could you be at risk for lung cancer?

If you’ve smoked heavily or have smoked for many years, the answer is "yes." Smoking puts you at risk even if you no longer smoke or do not have any symptoms.

What’s the connection between smoking and cancer?

There’s no doubt about it—cigarette smoking can cause lung cancer. In fact, cigarette smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer. Every year, more than 169,000 people in the United States get lung cancer, and nearly 155,000 people die from this disease. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for both men and women.

Your risk of lung cancer depends on how many cigarettes and how long you’ve smoked. Quitting reduces the risk, but half of all lung cancers occur in former smokers.