Free lung cancer early detection comes: What does that mean for smokers?

Long -term, strong smokers can soon take advantage of a free examination of the early detection of lung cancer. The Federal Joint Committee (GBA) has decided that the investigation by means of a low-dose computer tomography (CT) will in future be taken over by the health insurance company, as a spokeswoman confirmed at the request of the dpa news agency. The examination can be perceived every twelve months. The most important questions and answers.

The offer is aimed at strong smokers between the ages of 50 and 75. It’s all about cigarettes, not other tobacco products. The people must have smoked at least 25 years without a long interruption and have at least 15 years of packing. The package years are calculated by multiplied the number of cigarette packs that are smoked per day by the number of smoking years.

“Ex-smokers can also participate in the investigations if they have not been abstinent for more than ten years,” explains Stefan Sauerland from the Institute for Quality and Economic Affairs (IQWiG). The IQWiG provides detailed information on its website.

“There are an estimated two million people in Germany to which these criteria apply,” says Sauerland. So far, smokers have only been able to do a CT if they had symptoms, for example blood cough.

The earlier cancer is discovered, the higher the chances of healing and the lower the number of deaths. According to the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), lung cancer can be recognized with high security through the low dose CT before illness signs occur.

“We know from studies that the early detection could avoid 20 percent of cancer deaths in this target group,” says Sauerland. If everyone went for early detection, according to the doctor, up to 1000 cancer deaths per year could be prevented in Germany.

According to the university professor, lung cancer is only found in three quarters of the cases without early detection. The forecast is usually bad. “Around 80 percent of these people die in the following five years.”

As with every X-ray examination, there is a radiation exposure in the CT examination, which may be able to contribute to the development of cancer. The Federal Office for Radiation Protection estimates that less than three out of 1,000 women and around 1,000 men arise within 25 years. In relation to normal cancer incidence, this is acceptable, says Sauerland.

It is also possible that there are false-positive results and suspicious changes in the end as benign. Patients may have to undergo an examination, such as a biopsy, although that would not have been necessary.

Overall, the risks for the target group predominates the risks, according to the Federal Office for Radiation Protection. However, stringent quality management for the entire early detection process and regular evaluation of the measure is “essential”.

That can take a few more months. The Federal Joint Committee estimates that it is expected to be ready in April 2026. After the GBA decision, the Federal Ministry of Health must first give feedback. If there are no objections, doctors and health insurance companies have to agree on a remuneration. You have up to six months for that. Only then can resident doctors settle the new service with statutory health insurance companies.

In theory, those affected have been able to take the CT examination since July 2024-but for the time being at their own expense. At that time, the regulation of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Security and Consumer Protection came into force, the basis for the GBA decision.

The Federal Joint Committee is the highest decision -making body of self -government in German healthcare. In the form of guidelines, it determines which medical services can claim around 74 million insured persons of statutory health insurance.

According to the DKFZ, around 56,500 people in Germany develop lung cancer every year. In men, lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer each year with around 28,000 deceased. It is the second most common in women with 17,000 deaths.

In Germany, men are probably attributable to active smoking, at least six out of ten lung cancer in women.