Published on Nov. 9, 2026
November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. This year, my ask is simple: Don’t bury your head in the sand.
I understand why people do. Scheduling a lung cancer screening can be scary, especially if you have smoked for years. You may fear what the scan will find, or feel healthy and see no reason to look.
But with lung cancer, waiting until something feels wrong often means waiting too long.
Early-stage lung cancer usually has no symptoms. That’s why screening matters. An annual low-dose CT scan can find cancer before symptoms begin, when it’s most treatable and often curable.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends annual screening for adults ages 50 to 80 with at least a 20 pack-year smoking history who currently smoke or quit within the past 15 years. If that’s you, ask your doctor about screening.
Too few people are getting screened. According to the American Lung Association’s 2025 “State of Lung Cancer” report, only 16.8% of high-risk Californians were screened. That’s fewer than 1 in 5. And only about 1 in 4 lung cancers in California is caught at an early stage.
As a thoracic surgeon, I take those numbers personally because I see what happens after the scan.
If a scan finds a lung nodule, don’t assume the worst. Most nodules are not cancer, and a nodule certainly doesn’t mean you need surgery. The next step is a careful evaluation: comparing previous scans, watching for change and, if needed, more imaging or a biopsy.
Cancer found early often means less invasive treatment. Many patients have tumors removed robotically through a few small incisions and go home in a day or two.
I wish more patients came to me at that stage, with just a nodule to evaluate. Too often, people get scanned only after symptoms appear. By then, I’m seeing stage 3 or 4 lung cancer, which is much harder to treat.
If you smoke, or used to, take the first step. I know quitting is hard, and I’m not asking you to do that today. I’m asking you to get screened.
Don’t let fear of what you might find keep you from finding it early.
Call a nurse navigator at (888) 636-5864 or visit memorialcare.org/lung to learn more.
Medically Reviewed by
Matthew D. Stanley, M.D., thoracic surgeon, MemorialCare