A research task force from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston recently set out to create a new system of guidelines for lung cancer screening, which could help oncology nurses detect signs of the disease sooner.

"This work will result in a greater chance for patients stricken with early lung cancer to receive curative therapy," said David Sugarbaker, chief of the division of thoracic surgery at Brigham and Women's.

Along with the lung cancer screening guidelines already in place, the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) is recommending that nurses and physicians screen smokers and former smokers between the ages of 55 and 79 who have consistently smoked a pack of cigarettes every day for 20 to 30 years. Additionally, lung cancer survivors up to the age of 79 should have regular screenings.

Should medical facilities in the United States adhere to the new guidelines, about 94 million Americans are eligible for low-dose screenings. As the second-leading cause of death in the country, cancer can be prevented from taking the lives of millions of citizens if nurses broaden their range of who to test for the disease.