New Scan Detects Lung Tumors Earlier Than Traditional Scans

Penn's Abramson Cancer Center is hosting a free conference about preventing lung cancer on Friday, October 14.

Register for this free conference, or follow #LungCancerACC on Twitter on Friday, October 14 for live updates from the Focus On Lung Cancer Conference.

When it comes to lung cancer, the numbers are not good. More people in the U.S. die from lung cancer than any other type of cancer.

Consider these facts:

• In 2011, more than 220,000 Americans will be diagnosed with lung cancer and more than 156,000 people will die of lung or bronchus cancer.
• Smokers are 10 to 20 times more likely to get lung cancer. About 90 percent of lung cancer deaths in men and almost 80 percent of lung cancer deaths in women are due to smoking.
• There are more than 94 million current or former smokers in the U.S.
• Among both men and women in the United States, lung cancer is the second most common type of cancer, accounting for more deaths than breast cancer, prostate cancer, and colon cancer combined.

Screening uses tests or exams to find a disease like cancer in people who don't have any symptoms. Because lung cancer often spreads beyond the lungs before it causes symptoms, a screening test that finds lung cancer early could save many lives.

In the past, no lung cancer screening test had been shown to lower the risk of dying from this disease. Studies involving spiral CT (or helical CT) have shown some promise in finding early lung cancers in heavy smokers and former smokers. So far, major medical groups have not recommended routine screening tests for all people or even for people at increased risk, such as smokers.

People who smoke, who smoked in the past, or who have been exposed to other people's smoke, as well as those who have worked around materials that increase the risk for lung cancer need to be aware of their lung cancer risk. They should talk to their doctors about their chances of getting lung cancer and the pros and cons of lung cancer screening.

For those who decide in favor of testing, the physicians in Penn Medicine’s Lung Cancer Program are experienced in lung scanning and the latest screening techniques for people at high risk.

For information about smoking cessation programs at Penn Medicine, visit PennMedicine.org/smoking or call 800-789-PENN (7366).

Join Our Lung Cancer Webchat Live from the Focus On Lung Cancer Conference
Lung cancer experts will answer questions about risk, diagnosis and treatment. Submit questions in advance, view and participate in the live webchat and read transcripts after the webchat.
Time: 12:15 PM, EST
Website: OncoLink.org/Webchat