Lung cancer screening clinic

MD Anderson offers lung cancer screening to current and former smokers, in an effort to detect lung cancer at its earliest stage, when treatment is most effective.  

Medicare Parts A and B cover the first clinic appointment and a lung cancer screening counseling session. For appropriate patients, annual lung cancer screening with low-dose computed tomography will be covered as an additional preventive service under Medicare. The procedure is also covered by some insurance plans. 

Who should be screened?

People who are eligible for lung cancer screening: 

• Are 55-77 years of age
• Are current smokers, or former smokers who have quit within the past 15 years
• Have a smoking history of 30 packs/year or greater. A pack-year is equal to one pack of cigarettes a day for 30 years or two packs a day for 15 years.

What to expect at your screening

Your lung cancer screening appointment should only take about one-and-a-half hours. A low-dose, non-invasive form of CT scan is used. It does not require drinking contrast fluid. 

Anyone who meets the eligibility criteria for lung cancer screening can request an appointment by calling 1-877-632-6789.