Why Lung Cancer Screening Remains Underused, And How The USPSTF Meeting Cancellation Could Make It Worse

Division of Pulmonology and Critical Care nurse practitioner Jeanne Millett, left, and pulmonologist Dr. Thomas Smith review lung cancer screening scans at Albany Medical Center Friday Feb. 5, 2016 in Albany, NY. (Photo by John Carl D'Annibale /Albany Times Union via Getty Images) Albany Times Union via Getty Ima

Lung cancer screening remains strikingly underused, with reported screening rates as low as 16% according to the American Lung Association . This means less than 1 in 5 individuals who are eligible to get a low-dose CT scan, the screening test for lung cancer, are actually getting the test. This statistic is worrisome since lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among both men and women.

According to the United States Preventive Services Task Force , individu