National Lung Cancer Screening Day: A Call to Detect Cancers Early

Tiffany Gowen, M.H.A., FSBI, ACS LION
Director, Patient and Family Centered Care Commission and Lead Staff, Breast Cancer Screening Leaders Group at the American College of Radiology

According to the American Cancer Society, about 234,580 new cases of lung cancer are expected to be diagnosed in the United States in 2024. National Lung Cancer Screening Day (LCS Day) was created in 2022 by the American Cancer Society National Lung Cancer Roundtable, the American College of Radiology, Radiology Health Equity Coalition, and GO2 for Lung Cancer to encourage medical imaging facilities across the country to open their doors on the second Saturday of each November. The weekend availability helps accommodate individuals who may not be able to take time off work for screening.  

Although LCS Day was inspired by President Biden’s call to end cancer as we know it under the Cancer Moonshot℠ initiative, this day of action also directly contributes to the National Cancer Plan’s goals Detecting Cancer Early and Eliminating Inequities.   

The American College of Radiology—a membership organization that advances the practice and science of radiological care—is committed to doing our part to help the National Cancer Plan achieve its goals to Prevent Cancer, Detect Cancer Early, Eliminate Inequities, and Optimize the Workforce. Under the leadership of Dr. Dana Smetherman, the college and its volunteers have outlined efforts to reduce cancer deaths among all patients, including racial and ethnic minorities, rural and urban residents, and the under- and uninsured populations. Specifically, the American College of Radiology is working to make imaging research inclusive of all the patients we serve and identify populations that may particularly benefit from certain screenings or treatments.   

To that end, the LCS Day campaign has three main goals: raise awareness of early cancer detection through regular lung cancer screening, reduce access disparities, and reduce stigma.   

Since the inception of LCS Day, over 1,600 facilities have signed up to participate. This year, over 700 screening facilities, advocacy organizations, comprehensive cancer networks, and Department of Veterans Affairs centers agreed to join in. By aligning LCS Day with Veterans Day, we hoped to honor our nation’s veterans as we increase outreach and awareness and, in turn, save more lives in this population not only in November, but also throughout the year.  

A variety of tools are available to assist the imaging facilities and advocacy groups in promoting LCS Day. When you sign up to join the campaign through our dedicated website, lungcancerscreeningday.org, you will have access to resources for patients, advocates, and clinicians.  

We hope you will join us on every LCS Day moving forward.