-Screening

Tests and exams used to find a disease, such as cancer, in people who do not have any symptoms


-Early detection

Using an approach that lets lung cancer get diagnosed earlier than otherwise might have occurred.

-Usually symptoms of lung cancer do not appear until the disease is already in an advanced, non-curable stage.

-Even when symptoms of lung cancer do appear, many people may mistake them for other problems, such as an infection or long-term effects from smoking. This may delay the diagnosis.

-Some lung cancers are diagnosed early because they are found as a result of tests for other medical conditions.

-For example, lung cancer may be found by imaging tests (such as a chest x-ray or chest CT scan), bronchoscopy (viewing the inside of lung airways through a flexible lighted tube), or sputum exam (microscopic examination of cells in coughed up phlegm) done for other reasons in patients with heart disease, pneumonia, or other lung conditions.

-A small portion of these patients do very well and may be cured of lung cancer

-Lung cancer screening is a way in which doctors check the lungs for early signs of cancer in people who have no symptoms of lung cancer.

-For now, doctors are not sure how useful screening is for preventing cancer deaths, or who (if anyone) should be screened.

-They have been studying chest x-rays and “low dose CT scans” to see if they are good screening tools.

-A low-dose CT scan uses much less radiation than a normal CT scan and shows a more detailed image of lungs than a standard x-ray.

-It turns out that x-rays do not work for screening.

-Low-dose CT scans, on the other hand, might be helpful screening tools for some people at high risk of lung cancer.

-The goal of lung cancer screening is to find cancer early, before it has a chance to grow, spread, or cause problems.

-One large study found that smokers who were screened with low-dose CT scans were less likely to die of lung cancer than those who were screened with standard x-ray.

-Even so, experts are not yet ready to recommend low-dose CT scans for all heavy smokers. That’s because it’s unclear whether screening outside of a research study—in the “real world”—would work as well.

-Plus, screening comes with certain risks, including the need for more tests if a person has an abnormal screening test

-The best way to lower your chances of getting or dying from lung cancer is to quit smoking.

-It does not matter how much or how long you have smoked.

-Quitting now will reduce your chances not only of lung problems, but also of heart disease and many forms of cancer.

Who should be screened for lung cancer? 

-It is not clear who, if anyone, should be screened for lung cancer.

-For now, experts recommend that people who have smoked heavily for years discuss the pros and cons of screening with their doctor.

-Then they can decide, with their doctor’s help, if screening is right for them.

-Your general health and level of risk

Your level of risk depends mostly on how much and how long you have smoked, and on whether you still smoke.

-The costs involved in screening

-Access to experts in lung cancer screening

Not all doctors are experts at reading low-dose CT scans, or in deciding what to do if a test is abnormal. For screening to be helpful, a very experienced person must read the scan. Plus, it’s important that any abnormal results be managed by a doctor who is an expert at diagnosing lung cancer.

What are the benefits of being screened for lung cancer?

-The main benefit of screening is that it helps doctors find cancer early, when it should be easier to treat.

-This might lower your chances of dying of lung cancer

What are the drawbacks to being screened for lung cancer?

False positives

-Low dose CT scans sometimes give “false positives,” meaning they suggest a person might have cancer when he or she does not.

-This can lead to unneeded worry and to more tests.

-For example, people who have false positives sometimes have follow-up full-dose CT scans, which expose them to more radiation. They sometimes also need a lung biopsy, which is a procedure to remove a small sample of lung tissue. This procedure can be painful and lead to problems, such as bleeding or a collapsed lung

Radiation exposure

Like all x-rays, CT scans expose you to some radiation.
Although the radiation dose from the first screening CT scan is low, you would need to have a scan every year, so your exposure would add up. Plus, if you have an abnormal result, you could end up having full dose CT scans

-The best way to avoid dying from lung cancer is to avoid the risk factors

-Smoking – Quit NOW

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