Health
The deadly cancer hiding in plain sight — and why most patients never get screened
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A new study from Northwestern Medicine suggests that current lung cancer screening guidelines may be missing most Americans who develop the disease — and researchers say it’s time for a major change.
Published in JAMA Network Open, the study analyzed nearly 1,000 lung cancer patients who were treated at Northwestern Medicine between 2018 and 2023.
The goal was to see how many of those patients would have qualified for screening under existing guidance from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF).
STEALTH BREAST CANCER THAT HIDES FROM SCANS TARGETED IN BREAKTHROUGH TECH
USPSTF currently recommends annual CT scans for adults ages 50 to 80 who have a 20 pack-year smoking history (the equivalent of one pack of cigarettes per day for 20 years) and either still smoke or quit within the last 15 years.
Only about 35% of those diagnosed with lung cancer met the current criteria to undergo screenings.
Current lung cancer screening guidelines may be missing most people who develop the disease, a new study shows. (iStock)
That means roughly two-thirds of patients would not have been flagged for testing before their diagnosis.
“Not only does that approach miss many patients who had quit smoking in the past or did not quite meet the high-risk criteria, it also misses other patients at risk of lung cancer, such as non-smokers,” Luis Herrera, M.D., a thoracic surgeon at Orlando Health, told Fox News Digital.
The study noted that these patients tended to have adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer among never-smokers.
Missed patients tended to have adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer among never-smokers. (iStock)
Those missed by the guidelines were more often women, people of Asian descent and individuals who had never smoked, the study found.
The research team also compared survival outcomes. Patients who didn’t meet the screening criteria had better survival, living a median of 9.5 years compared with 4.4 years for those who did qualify.
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While this difference partly reflects tumor biology and earlier detection, it also highlights how current screening rules fail to catch a broad range of cases that could be treated sooner, according to researchers.
“The current participation in lung cancer screening for patients who do qualify based on smoking history is quite low,” said Herrera, who was not involved in the study. This is likely due to the complexity of the risk-based criteria and stigma associated with smoking and lung cancer, he added.
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To test an alternative, the researchers modeled a different approach: screening everyone between the ages of 40 and 85, regardless of smoking history.
Under that universal, age-based model, about 94% of the cancers in their cohort would have been detected.
Universal screening procedures could save lives and hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to the researchers. (iStock)
Such a change could prevent roughly 26,000 U.S. deaths each year, at a cost of about $101,000 per life saved, according to their estimates.
The study emphasized that this would be far more cost-effective than current screening programs for breast or colorectal cancer, which cost between $890,000 and $920,000 per life saved.
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Herrera noted the many challenges in the adoption of lung cancer screening, from lack of awareness to some providers not recommending the screening test.
However, he added, “The cost of screening is covered by most health insurance plans and many institutions also offer discounts for patients who don’t have insurance.”
“The current participation in lung cancer screening for patients who do qualify based on smoking history is quite low.”
Lung cancer remains the deadliest cancer in the country, killing more people each year than colon, prostate and breast cancer combined. But because of the narrow eligibility criteria based on smoking history, millions at risk never get screened.
Northwestern Medicine researchers argue that expanding screening to include all adults within an age range could help close those gaps, especially for groups often underdiagnosed.
Researchers argue that expanding screening to include all adults could help catch the missing cases. (iStock)
The study was conducted at a single academic center, which means the patient population may not represent the wider U.S. population. It also looked back at existing data, so it can’t prove how the new model would perform in real-world screening programs, the researchers acknowledged.
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The cost and mortality projections rely on assumptions that could shift depending on how screening is implemented.
The researchers also didn’t fully account for the potential downsides of broader screening, such as false positives or unnecessary follow-ups, they noted.
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For patients who don’t qualify for lung cancer screening, there are other opportunities for lung evaluations, including “heart calcium scores, CT scans and other imaging modalities that can at least evaluate the lungs for any suspicious nodules,” Herrera added.
new video loaded: Wii Bowling Takes Over Tulsa Retirement Homes
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transcript
Wii Bowling Takes Over Tulsa Retirement Homes
Retirement communities in Tulsa, Okla., compete against one another in a Nintendo Wii Sports bowling league.
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“That’s how you win.” “There you go, Ron.” “Way to go.”
By Nick Oxford, Alisa Shodiyev Kaff and Alexandra E. Petri
June 19, 2026
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As the popularity of GLP-1 drugs continues to climb, significant weight loss associated with the medications has been linked to a growing list of cosmetic concerns.
Some surgeons report that more patients are seeking treatments for so-called “Ozempic earlobes,” which reportedly appear thinner, longer or more sagging after the loss of facial fat.
“The use of semaglutides causes you to lose fat across your body, including the small, fat pads of the earlobes,” facial plastic surgeon Sachin S. Parikh, MD, told NewBeauty.
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“It’s important to note that semaglutides do not damage ear tissue or affect hearing in any way, so any intervention would be purely cosmetic,” added the California-based doctor.
Some of the potential treatments for “Ozempic earlobes” may include dermal filler, fat transfer, laser treatments or surgical earlobe reduction, according to the report.
As the popularity of GLP-1 drugs continues to climb, significant weight loss associated with the medications has been linked to a growing list of cosmetic concerns. (iStock)
Dr. Mohammed Asif from Duly Health and Care in Naperville, Illinois, said that while he hasn’t personally noticed an uptick in ear surgeries, he has seen a rise in other procedures due to GLP-1-triggered weight loss.
Some of those include panniculectomies (Ozempic skin removal surgery) and abdominoplasties (tummy tucks).
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“There has been a significant increase in body contouring procedures among patients with GLP-1 weight loss,” Asif told Fox News Digital.
“In my practice, I’ve seen a significant surge in breast lifts, panniculectomies (skin removal surgery), abdominoplasties (tummy tucks), brachioplasties (arm lifts) and thighplasties due to weight loss.”
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Healing and recovery are “far greater and less complicated” than with bariatric surgery weight loss, Asif noted.
“This is due to the gradual weight loss achieved over time with GLP-1s.”
“Ozempic breast” is another common complaint, according to Dr. Michael Omidi, a double board-certified plastic surgeon practicing in Beverly Hills.
“There has been a significant increase in body contouring procedures among patients with GLP-1 weight loss,” a doctor told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
“Women in their 30s and 40s would not typically need a breast lift, but when you’re taking drugs like Ozempic or Wegovy that cause rapid weight loss, women can see gravity take its toll on their breasts,” he told Fox News Digital.
“When women, especially younger ones, lose fat too fast, it causes the breasts, which are comprised of fat, glandular tissue and skin, to lose volume,” he went on. “The skin and supporting ligaments don’t always bouce back at the same rate as the weight loss, resulting in breasts that can appear saggy and deflated.”
NEW OBESITY TREATMENT MAY HELP PRESERVE MUSCLE DURING WEIGHT LOSS
Dr. Samuel Golpanian, a double board-certified plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, said he has seen “dozens” of patients – men and women alike – seeking treatments for so-called “Ozempic butt” after significant weight loss.
“This is an unintended consequence of taking GLP-1s,” he told Fox News Digital.
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“Such dramatic weight loss in a short period of time causes the skin not to tighten quickly enough to keep up with the body’s changes. Our buttocks have a large amount of fat, so when that volume disappears quickly, you’ll develop a flatter, saggier behind.”
“Such dramatic weight loss in a short period of time causes the skin not to tighten quickly enough to keep up with the body’s changes,” a surgeon said. (iStock)
Kristy Hamilton, MD, a Houston-based surgeon who is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), agreed that a growing number of patients are seeking skin-tightening procedures after losing large amounts of weight with GLP-1s.
“We’re absolutely seeing more of those patients, and I expect that trend to continue,” said Hamilton in an ASPS report.
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“People are losing as much as 100 pounds on this medication – and when you’re losing that amount, that’s significant. You’re certainly going to have excess skin afterward.”
The ASPS lists the following body-contouring procedures as the ones most frequently performed after substantial weight loss.
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- Tummy tuck (abdominoplasty): Removes excess abdominal skin and fat
- Lower body lift (belt lipectomy): Addresses the abdomen, buttocks, hips and thighs
- Arm lift (brachioplasty): Removes hanging upper-arm skin
- Thigh lift: Tightens excess skin of the inner thighs
- Breast lift (mastopexy): Addresses sagging, deflated breasts after weight loss
- Facelift/neck lift: Addresses facial volume loss and skin laxity after major weight loss
“People are losing as much as 100 pounds on this medication – and when you’re losing that amount, that’s significant. You’re certainly going to have excess skin afterward.” (iStock)
Experts say adequate protein intake and resistance training can help minimize the loss of lean muscle mass that often accompanies rapid weight loss, which could reduce some of the cosmetic concerns.
Golpanian also emphasized the importance of eating enough protein.
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“It can be harder since your appetite is suppressed, but it’s so important to consume at least 110 grams of protein a day while taking a GLP-1 drug,” he advised.
“Also, I say this to my patients all the time: You have to lift weights to keep your muscles from atrophying. Strength training can help build muscles and preserve your glutes.”
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