I am a smoker. Should I have regular chest X-rays to check for lung cancer?

At this time, researchers have not shown that having regular chest X-rays can reduce lung cancer deaths.

Researchers have been studying this issue for a long time. A early study at the Mayo Clinic suggested that frequent X-rays do not decrease lung cancer deaths among smokers. More than 9,000 men participated in the Mayo Lung Project between 1971 and 1983. Half the men received chest X-rays and sputum tests (a deep-cough sample of mucus in the lungs) three times yearly for six years. The other half received the tests annually. After an average of three years, the researchers found that lung cancer death rates between the two groups were the same.

More recently, National Cancer Institute and Mayo Institute researchers followed up with these same men 20 years later. They again found that frequent screening for lung cancer with chest X-rays does not save lives.

NCI researchers continue to study screening tests for lung cancer. They are studying conventional chest X-rays and the newer spiral computed tomography (CT) scan. (Spiral CT uses X-rays to create a 3-D model of the lungs.) These studies are expected to provide some answers within the next few years.

Meanwhile, the best way to prevent lung cancer is to quit or never start smoking. About 85 percent of lung cancers are caused by smoking. Even if you have been smoking for many years, it's not too late to benefit from quitting. For information and guidance on how to quit smoking, call the Cancer Information Service at 800-4-CANCER.

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