Since most smokers start by age 11 or 12, this effort needs to be in the early years. Parents who smoke double the chances that their children will be smokers. Early detection, while not often possible, will improve the chances for a surgical removal and cure. Chest x-rays and CT scans are the primary tests when lung cancer is suspected. Sputum cytology and bronchoscopy or CT directed needle biopsies are used to determine the cell type and confirm the presence of cancer.
PET scans can help determine the resectability of a known tumor.
There are no good tests at this time to improve early detection. When possible to remove the whole tumor, surgery is the treatment of choice. When the entire cancer is not removed or suspected to have residual tumor, radiation therapy is often added. For certain types of lung cancer, chemotherapy is the primary treatment of choice. Both women and men have an equal percentage of the lung cancers and the incidence is growing for women.