Results from the Female Asian Nonsmoker Screening Study (FANSS) are raising urgent questions about whether current U.S. cancer screening guidelines neglect high-risk, never-smoking groups, particularly among minority communities. This research spotlights Asian American women, who, despite having no history of smoking, face more than double the risk of lung cancer compared to their white counterparts in the same risk category.
For the first time, a screening program in the United States was designed exclusively for non-smoking Asian women ages 40-74. Using low-dose CT (LDCT) scans, the study evaluated 1,000 participants. Researchers found a lung cancer detection rate of 1.3%, which exceeded the rate seen in major studies of high-risk smokers. Thirteen participants were diagnosed with invasive lung adenocarcinoma, many at early stages, and all underwent surgical removal of the cancer with no reported lung cancer deaths so far.
Lead investigator Dr. Elaine Shum emphasized the need to adjust current screening guidelines given how eligibility has focused solely on individuals with a history of smoking. “Our findings show a lung cancer detection rate of 1.3%, which is higher than that reported in the National Lung Screening Trial for high-risk smokers.” Dr. Shum underscored the danger that “screening guidelines may overlook high-risk nonsmoking populations.” The study’s follow-up and further biomarker analysis may offer a path to fixing disparities for Asian communities often left out of preventive health efforts.
See: “Study highlights potential value of low-dose CT screening for lung cancer among Asian women” (Sep 9, 2025)
