Why don’t lung cancer screenings cover people impacted by second-hand smoke?
At this point in time lung cancer screenings are recommended only for people at high risk of lung cancer. The criteria being used for the screening is based on the NCCN guidelines. While second-hand smoke is a risk factor for lung cancer, exposure to it – even over an extended period of time – does not put someone into a high risk group that qualifies for a LDCT lung cancer screening. Therefore, lung cancer screenings are not currently recommended for people who have only been exposed to second-hand smoke.