LungBlog

Lung cancer is one of the only common cancers without a standardized method for early detection and prevention - a frightening situation when you consider it is the No. 1 cancer killer in both men and women in the United States, and that more Americans die each year from lung cancer than from breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers combined.

Heavy smokers and those who quit may have a chance to lower their risk of getting lung cancer. Researchers at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute are testing a new drug that could reverse some of the smoking-related damage to their lungs. Moffitt investigators will determine whether Sulindac may reverse some of the lung abnormalities associated with smoking.

When Bill Somers was told he had lung cancer two months ago, he and his wife Lyann knew they’d only have one chance to get his treatment right. COPD already had compromised Bill’s lung function, meaning the typical treatment of surgery to remove the Stage I non-small cell lung cancer from his left lung was not an option. So even before their first visit with a surgical oncologist in Flint, Michigan, near their hometown, the Somers’ began reading books and scouring the Internet for reliable treatment inspiration.

The Lung Cancer Caring Ambassadors Program (Lung Cancer CAP) reports disappointment and frustration with the discrepant standards used in evaluating the efficacy of lung cancer screening compared to screening tests for other cancers. “The announcement by the American Cancer Society (ACS) recommending the addition of yearly MRI to the already recommended annual mammography for breast cancer screening among high-risk women spotlights the blatantly discrepant standards being used to evaluate the efficacy of cancer screening depending upon the type of cancer involved,” noted Lung Cancer CAP Medical Director, Dr. Tina M. St. John.

Annual computed tomographic (CT) screening for lung cancer resulted in the identification of a high proportion of patients who had early-stage disease, researchers report in the journal Radiology.

Principal investigator Dr Claudia I Henschke told Reuters that when CT screening is performed it is important to use an approach that is well-defined and well-tested to identify the patients who need further testing, what testing is needed and when it should be done.

Cannabis increases the risk of lung cancer and may cause 5 per cent of cases of the disease in people aged 55 and under, according to a new study being published later this year.

After three dozen new cases of a rare form of lung cancer were reported among Minnesota iron miners, the state health department says it will launch studies to determine the cause. Mesothelioma is linked to asbestos exposure, but some mine workers are concerned that taconite dust may also be a culprit.

Screening high-risk individuals for lung cancer with an annual ‘CT’ scan may be able to detect tumours when they are most treatable, according to new US research.

The New York Early Lung Cancer Action Project study, published in the April edition of Radiology, examined the screening results of 6,295 former smokers aged over 60.

Despite advances in chemotherapy and radiotherapy, surgery remains the only effective curative treatment for lung cancer, a major Dublin conference has heard.

‘A Time To Consider Lung Cancer Care’ was launched in November 2006 to mark Lung Cancer Awareness Month. The bursary was intended to encourage healthcare professionals to share their personal experience and knowledge of lung cancer care in Ireland.