It is a fact that lung cancer is the deadliest cancer in the United States but early detection changes everything. Lung cancer can be found early through lung cancer screenings and treated effectively — and for eligible patients, a simple, painless scan could make all the difference. Quitting smoking can also improve outcomes and treatment effectiveness.
Siteman leads the St. Louis region in lung cancer screening efforts to:
- Clarify risks based on your smoking history, including pack-year calculations
- Educate patients on the latest lung cancer screening guidelines
- Make low-dose CT scans easy to access across the St. Louis metro area
- Identify cancer at its earliest, most treatable stages using WashU radiologist expertise
- Support your ability to quit smoking through our Smoking Cessation Program.
Why Lung Cancer Screening Is Important
Right now, annual low-dose CT (LDCT) screening is the only proven screening test that can lower the risk of death from lung cancer — reducing deaths by 20% among higher-risk individuals.
Screenings for lung cancer are important for finding lung nodules and lesions in the lung early.
Lung nodules can be common and aren’t always a concern. People living in the Missouri region often have them. But it takes an expert to know for sure. WashU Medicine radiologists from Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology interpret lung screenings to determine if nodules need additional testing or a biopsy.
Screening Helps Find Cancer Even if You Don’t Have Symptoms
Lung cancer does not have symptoms at early stages, so screening is the best chance to find a tumor before it has grown or spread. Low-dose CT scans can also find nodules and lesions that may need to be tested or followed to rule out cancer.
At an early stage:
- Treatment is more effective
- Survival rates are significantly higher
- You may have more treatment options, including surgery
- Treatment may be less intensive with fewer side effects
Most of the time, lung cancer is caught at later, more advanced stages, but screenings are changing that. The sooner you know, the more options you have.
Eligibility for Lung Cancer Screening
The guidelines for lung cancer screenings can be difficult to understand. You need to be eligible and have a doctor refer you for one.
Your doctor may refer you for an annual low-dose CT scan if you are:
- 50-80 years old
- A current smoker or a person who has quit smoking in the last 15 years
- Someone with a history of smoking 20 pack-years or more. Use this tool to learn about your pack-years and smoking
Always tell your doctor if you have ever smoked. Even if you’ve quit, yearly screenings can help make sure you are as healthy as you feel.
Never smoked?
Siteman’s Lung Cancer Screenings
Siteman’s lung cancer screenings are personalized to you. Every scan is read by board-certified WashU Medicine radiologists from the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology. Mallinckrodt is one of the nation’s leading radiology programs, so your results are accurate and trustworthy.
We ensure the highest standard of care by:
- Carefully evaluating your individual risk factors to confirm screening is right for you
- Meeting rigorous national quality and safety standards set by:
- U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)
- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
- National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN)
- American College of Radiology (ACR)
- Assigning you a dedicated Nurse Navigator who will guide you through every step, answer your questions, coordinate appointments, and make sure you never feel lost
- Communicating your results quickly and clearly
- Connecting you directly with a WashU Medicine thoracic surgeon at Siteman if your scan requires follow-up, monitoring, or treatment
We offer eligible patients low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) scan. The scan provides precise, 3-D images of the lungs and can detect lung cancers before they can be seen on chest X-rays.
You can ask your doctor to refer you for a Siteman lung cancer screening.
Screening for Lung Cancer Close to St. Louis
If you are at risk for developing lung cancer, you have screening options. Siteman has the largest network of lung cancer screening locations in the region.
New for 2026, Siteman Cancer Center has launched a mobile Lung Van to expand access to early lung cancer detection across Missouri. The van travels throughout the surrounding St. Louis region.
This new program builds on Siteman’s commitment to prevention and early detection, bringing advanced screening technology beyond our locations and closer to where patients live and work. All imaging is performed using state-of-the-art equipment and read by a team of WashU Medicine physicians specializing in radiology and oncology.
Frequently Asked Questions
Medicare and most private insurance plans cover annual low-dose CT screening for eligible patients at no cost. Ask your doctor or contact Siteman to confirm your coverage.
If you are eligible for a low-dose CT scan, after your first scan, you will have one each year. The imaging from scans monitor changes in your lung tissue. If nodules appear, change, grow, or other abnormalities appear, an expert will have a good baseline for comparison.
A pack year is a way to explain how many cigarettes a person smoked in a year’s time. But it can be confusing.
If you smoked 1 pack of cigarettes every day for a year, you had a “1-pack year.” The number can go up or down based on how many packs you smoked each day.
Our experienced team at Siteman works quickly to make sure you get accurate results quickly. After your scan, a WashU Medicine radiologist reads and interprets it. Having their input takes a few days. You will hear results directly seven days after your scan.
Our Siteman care coordinators – oncology-trained nurses who help with scheduling, finding the right specialist, and guidance – can help you through the process.
Call us directly or submit a form, and we will call you back.