November is being celebrated as lung cancer month to aware people all around the world about this disease. Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States and accounts for about one-fourty of all Cancer deaths. One of the critical public health tools for reducing mortality is using lung cancer screening. According to the study published in the Journal, Radiology, people with lung cancer who receive an early diagnosis via low-dose CT screening have 20-year survival rate of 81%. The team has also reported that the survival rate increases to 95% for people diagnosed with stage one lung cancer, undergoing the screening.
In this study, there were 1257 participants and these included people with less than 10-pack smoking years and those who never smoked but had cigarette smoke exposure. According to the American Lung Association, the average 5-year survival rate for lung cancer diagnosed at later stages is 8%. Only 23% of lung cancers are diagnosed at an early stage. In this study, they found that 81% of participants were at stage one. The results showed that after two decades, people diagnosed with lung cancer at early stage with CT screening have significantly better outcomes. They noted that treating small cancer when it has not yet spread to the lymph nodes can effectively cure it.
The American Cancer Society recommends people to talk to doctor about their lung cancer risk at the age of 50. This helps them to determine if annual screening with low-dose CT scan is right for them.
The information shared in this blog is for educational purposes only. You should always ask your healthcare provider about any medical needs.
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