Know your body and be aware of lung cancer symptoms.
Talk to your doctor right away if you:
- have a cough that lasts more than six weeks,
- are diagnosed with asthma as an adult,
- have a cough that produces blood or rust-colored phlegm,
- or experience unexplained weight loss.
These are not the only symptoms of lung cancer, others include constant chest pain, arm or shoulder pain, shortness of breath, repeated episodes of pneumonia or bronchitis, swelling of the neck and face and widening of the fingertips.
Being at high risk doesn’t mean you’ll definitely get lung cancer. But, you may need to start regular screening exams. So if you do get cancer, your doctor finds it at its earliest stage. When found early, the chances for successfully treating the disease are greatest.
We recommend lung cancer screening if you are ages 50-80, are a current smoker (or former smoker who quit in the past 15 years) and have a 20 pack-year smoking history (for example, one pack a day for 20 years or two packs a day for 10 years).
Along with regular exams, practice awareness. This means you should be familiar with your body. That way you’ll notice changes, like a cough that doesn’t go away or chest pain. Then, report them to your doctor without delay.
The screening recommendations on this page apply to adults expected to live for 10 years. They're not for adults who have a health condition that may make it harder to diagnose or treat lung cancer.
One of the best things you can do to stay healthy is to stay away from tobacco for good.
It’s never too late to quit smoking.
The best way to lower your risk for lung cancer is to quit smoking today. Up to 80% of lung cancers are caused by smoking.
If you’ve already quit, congratulations. If you’re still trying to quit, research shows that using a combination of medication and counseling will double your chances of success.
Quitting at any age improves your health and reduces your risk for disease.
Make healthy lifestyle choices.
Research shows that more than 50% of cancers can be prevented by healthy lifestyle choices. As well as not smoking or using tobacco, eat a healthy diet and exercise.
Fill two thirds of every meal with vegetables, whole grains, fruits, nuts and seeds. Fill the remaining third with lean protein like chicken, fish or plant-based proteins.
Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise each week.
Here are all the ways you can reduce your cancer risk.
This calculator is not meant to be a substitute for medical advice. Results should be considered in combination with advice from your doctor.
