On NPR, Nadia Litterman and Dr. Bryant Lin Make the Case for Earlier Detection of Lung Cancer

Last week, Nadia Litterman, Ph.D., the Foundation’s executive director, and Bryant Lin, M.D., M.Eng., a member of our Scientific Advisory Committee, joined NPR’s Morning Edition to discuss why lung cancer screening guidelines need to change.

The conversation came as news about Pope Leo XIV’s lung cancer diagnosis has many people asking questions about the disease. The segment noted Susan’s own diagnosis despite being healthy with no known risk factors, a reminder of what spurred the creation of our Foundation. As Nadia put it, “When people hear lung cancer, the first question is often, ‘Did they smoke?’ And I think we need to change that instinct because anyone with lungs can get lung cancer, and no one deserves it.”

That instinct shows up in the screening rules, too. Today, eligibility depends on age and smoking history, including how many years someone smoked and how recently they quit. About half of people diagnosed with lung cancer don’t qualify. That group isn’t made up only of people with no smoking history. It also includes many people who do have a history of smoking but fall short of the thresholds, leaving too many people out.

Whatever a person’s history, everyone at risk deserves the chance to find lung cancer early, when it is more treatable. Updating who qualifies for screening, and when, could save thousands of lives. Earlier detection changes everything, and it starts with a better understanding of lung cancer risk. Learn more.