Lung cancer screening only for some smokers, ages

An influential group of government advisers has endorsed lung cancer screening for the first time -- but not for everybody. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is proposing annual CT scans, a type of X-ray, for certain current and former smokers.

To be considered for screening, the task force says people should:

* Be ages 55 through 79.

* Have smoked a pack of cigarettes a day for 30 years or the equivalent, such as two packs a day for 15 years.

People who should not be screened include:

* Those younger than 55 or older than 79.

* Those who smoked less or less often than those described above.

* Those who quit smoking 15 or more years ago.

* Those too sick or frail to withstand treatment for lung cancer.