In late December, the U.S. Preventive Service Task Force recommended annual screening for lung cancer in adults ages 55 to 80 who are at high risk for cancer because they have smoked a pack or more per day of cigarettes for at least 30 years and currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years.
The Greater Cincinnati area has a lung cancer rate that is consistently higher than the general population, primarily due to the region's high smoking rate.
Low-radiation dose computed tomography scans are effective in catching lung cancer in its earliest stages. This technique can identify unrecognized disease in people who have no signs or symptoms in an attempt to intervene earlier when disease is generally more treatable.
In 2011, the National Cancer Institute published data supporting chest CT scans as an effective lung cancer screening tool for a high-risk patient population. The study showed that when heavy smokers were screened with low-radiation dose CT scans versus traditional chest X-rays, there was a 20 percent reduction in lung cancer-related deaths.
A separate UC-based trial evaluating chest CT scans in a population of 132 heavy smokers, which was published in 2011, also supported the imaging technique as a viable screening tool in a high-risk population. The technique allows lung cancer specialists to view the lungs one "slice" at a time. Nodules that are too small to show up on a chest X-ray are more likely to be detected and specialists can more accurately follow up on concerning lesions.
These recently issued guidelines provide a necessary endorsement to a screening tool that is truly beneficial and has been validated by many studies and a number of successful patients.
Lung cancer screening is restoring hope in early detection and treatment.However, it is important to note that screening is a not a one-time scan but a process that involves comparing multiple scans over time, similar to mammograms for breast cancer. To be an effective screening tool, the recommendation by the U.S. Preventive Service Task Force is for screening to be performed in clinical settings, similar to large academic medical centers, that follow evidence-based screening guidelines and use a multidisciplinary team of lung cancer specialists.
The UC Cancer Institute provides these services with the first and only program in the region to follow these standards.
If you are a smoker but are struggling to quit, there are a number of programs that can assist. A lung cancer screening could potentially save your life.
To schedule a screening appointment, call 513-584-LUNG. ■
Dr. John Morris Dr. Sandra Starnes