| Is Lung Cancer Screening Right For You? |
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If you are a smoker, a former smoker, or considered at risk for lung cancer by your physician, the latest research indicates that a lung cancer screening by high-resolution CT can save your life.
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Spiral CT technology can detect very small lung cancer nodules when treatment really counts. |
The prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has reported research results confirming a 10-year survival rate of 92% for stage-1 lung cancer patients treated within one month of diagnosis. The study group received annual high-resolution, low-dose CT scans that can detect very small tumors.
This is the strongest evidence ever published to indicate that CT screenings for smokers, former smokers, and others at risk can save lives.
We called attention to this seven years ago when the early results of this research were first reported. The facts now appear to show that early detection of lung cancer followed by treatment within a month combine to offer patients the best possible prognosis.
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Research Findings
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1. Lung cancer deaths in the United States are increasing and account for more deaths each year than breast, colon, and prostate cancer combined.
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2. Only 15 percent of people with lung cancer survive five years after diagnosis.
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3. The early stages of lung cancer are painless and without symptoms.
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4. Chest X-ray screenings are unable to detect the earliest signs of lung cancer.
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5. Where stage-1 lung cancer was detected by high-resolution CT scans and removed within one month, the 10-year survival rate in the research reported was 92 percent.
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6. Eight patients in the study who chose not to be treated after stage-1 cancer was detected died within five years.
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Additional Important Considerations
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1. While the study is encouraging, the results are still preliminary. (see news articles linked above at the left.)
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2. High-resolution CT screenings also detect scars and non-cancerous nodules that produce false positive results. These can lead to unnecessary follow-up exams, biopsies, and anxiety among patients who are perfectly healthy.
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3. Insurance companies do not pay the cost of CT screenings for lung cancer.
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Given these findings and limitations, we encourage smokers, former smokers, and others at high risk for lung cancer to discuss CT screening with their physicians. At $265.00 per lung cancer screening, we believe the cost is low while the benefits are high.
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