How do I convince mom or dad to get a lung cancer screening

Released: Friday, October 9, 2026 3:00 PM

How do I convince mom or dad to get a lung cancer screening?

You've asked mom or dad a million times to get a lung cancer screening, but there's always an excuse:
"I'm not coughing or having chest pain, so there's no point."
"I quit smoking years ago, no need!"
"I don't want to have a million tests or anyone poking me."

So how can you convince them to get a screening? Sharing these points can help:

You don't have to have symptoms to get screened.

The whole point of a lung cancer screening is to catch something before it becomes a problem - and that's before symptoms even develop.

"The earlier we catch it, the smaller the nodule or cancer is, allowing us to have more treatment options available," says Josh Mancini, PA-C, lung cancer screening coordinator at Kaleida Health. "Earlier intervention means better outcomes for the patient and their family."

Smoking history still matters.

While quitting smoking is one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of lung cancer, it doesn't erase past history. Your lungs take time to recover after years of smoke damaging the tissue.

We recommend patients to get lung cancer screenings each year for up to fifteen years after they quit smoking.

Screenings are painless and efficient.

Mom or dad afraid of needles? They don't want to wait hours to get tested? Luckily, a lung cancer screening involves neither.

The low-dose CT scan required for a lung cancer screening doesn't require any IVs, shots or dyes. Patients are assisted onto the CT table, where the scan takes less than ten minutes - quick and easy!

Screening doesn't mean they're signing up for a bunch of tests.

What happens after a screening if the scan shows a small nodule or another finding? It doesn't automatically mean dozens of more tests are on their way.
"95% of nodules are benign, so even if there is something that we find, it may not mean it's cancer," Mancini says. "We treat is as an observation and monitor it. That may mean an additional scan in 3 or 6 months, not once a week."

Location, size and nodule density matter, too. The bottom line is that our providers weigh every aspect of any findings to come up with the best - and most convenient - schedule for you and your family.

It's about staying healthy - not about being sick.

No one likes to hear they could be sick. Try reframing the conversation and focusing on the positives of the test rather than the negative "what if?" of having lung cancer.

"The biggest thing is, don't make your family member feel guilty or fearful," Mancini says. "Be as supportive as possible. Let them know you care, you want them to be proactive and stay healthy, and just like any primary care appointment or dentist appointment, this is just part of that."

Is your loved one eligible for a lung cancer screening?

Most insurances will cover the cost of a screening if patients are:

• Aged 50-80
• Prior or current smokers with 20-pack smoking history (one pack per day for 20 years, or 1/2 pack and day for 40 years, etc.)

Click here for more info or call 716-254-LUNG for more information and to help a parent or loved one schedule a scan. No referral is needed.