Annual low-dose CT lung cancer screening got the thumbs-up from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) for adults ages 55 through 79 who have a 30 pack-year history of smoking or who have quit in the past 15 years.

That strategy garnered a grade B in draft recommendations released today and is expected to pave the way for reimbursement from Medicare and private insurance.

Other screening modalities, such as chest x-ray and sputum cytology, were not recommended.