Los Angeles, CA, Oct. 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pope Leo XIV underwent surgery Tuesday to remove the lower lobe of his right lung after a nodule found during an appointment was confirmed to be lung cancer. Lung Cancer Foundation of America (LCFA) extends its support to him and to everyone facing this diagnosis.
This should prompt a hard look at why lung cancer in the United States is not being found early enough. The problem? Screening.
Roughly half of Americans diagnosed with lung cancer would not have met the eligibility criteria for an insurance-covered screening before their diagnosis. They were too young, quit smoking too long ago, or never smoked at all.
"We screen for this disease based on a profile, and the profile is out of date," said Kim Norris, president and co-founder of LCFA. "If you do not fit it, insurance will not pay, and most people are not writing a check out of pocket for a scan their doctor did not order. So they wait. They wait until there is some other medical emergency and the lung cancer is an accidental diagnosis; by then, we are having a very different conversation about what is still possible."
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends annual low-dose CT screening only for adults ages 50 to 80 with a 20 pack-year smoking history who currently smoke or quit within the past 15 years. Insurers and Medicare follow those criteria. Outside them, coverage generally does not apply, regardless of family history, lung disease, or environmental exposure.
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network's updated guidelines direct clinicians to weigh additional risk factors, including personal history of lung disease, prior cancers, family history, and occupational or environmental exposure. LCFA supports the expansion, but says it does not go far enough.
"NCCN moved in the right direction, and we are glad to see it," Norris said. "But tobacco history is still the front door, and everything else is a side entrance. Lung cancer is rising in women under 65 and in people who never smoked. Those patients are not in the criteria, so they are not in a scanner, and we meet them at stage four. That is a design problem, not bad luck."
The survival consequences are stark. Only about 27% of lung cancers in the U.S. are found at a localized stage. Caught early, five-year survival reaches 64%. Found after it spreads, it drops sharply.
"Anyone with lungs can get lung cancer," Norris said. "We have said it for years, and the criteria still have not caught up. If you have a cough that will not quit, chest pain, shortness of breath, or weight you did not try to lose, get imaged. Ask for it. Ask again if the first answer is no."
Screening eligibility information, symptom guidance, and resources for talking with a provider are available at https://lcfamerica.org/about-lung-cancer/detection/screening/.
About LCFA
LCFA’s mission is to dramatically improve the survivorship of lung cancer patients through the funding of transformative science, with the ultimate goal of curing the disease. Visit lcfamerica.org for the latest information and to donate.
Diane Mulligan | PR Contact Lung Cancer Foundation of America 720.273.0927 dmulligan@mandccommunications.com
