The rate of cigarette smoking among adults has declined over the past six decades, but only a minority of smokers screen for lung cancer, the American Cancer Society (ACS) said in a statement on Nov. 3.
“Cigarette smoking among U.S. adults dropped from 42 percent in 1965 to 11 percent in 2023. Researchers also discovered that only 18.1 percent of eligible adults who currently smoke or formerly smoked were up-to-date with lung cancer screening in 2022, despite cigarette smoking being a leading risk factor for lung cancer,” the statement said.
“Screening rates are lowest in Southern states in the U.S., where lung cancer burden and healthcare access issues are greatest.”…