Health

Health: Lung Cancer

PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ― Lung Cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women. Mainly because there is no quick and easy way to diagnose it, so it's generally detected in its later stages when it's too late.

Now researchers have developed a way to detect the cancer early with high accuracy.

Cigarette smoking causes most lung cancers, but it's now being diagnosed in a growing number of non-smokers and younger women, like actress Dana Reeve. It claimed her life just a couple of years ago.

"This is a, a really huge health problem," said Dr. Louise Showe, lead researcher of the study at The Wistar Institute in Philadelphia.

She and a team of researchers have developed a way to detect lung cancer before it's advanced with a blood test.

"We think it's pretty exciting. Yes," said Dr. Showe.

Doctors took the blood of patients, with and without lung cancer, then analyzed the samples and their genetic makeup in this lab. When cancer and white blood cells interact genes behave differently, as a result of cancer being present in the lung.

"We could diagnose people with early stage lung cancer with 87 percent accuracy," said Dr. Showe.

Researchers say a simple blood test could reduce the need for unnecessary surgeries, biopsies, and repeated imaging tests, that frequently detect it at late stages.

"We would like to see that there's regular screening for the detection of lung cancer in the way that there's regular screening for other cancers," said Dr. Showe.

Doctors say they need to perfect the blood test they're currently developing, so it won't be available to the public for at least 5 years.

Other research shows early detection with a Spiral CT Scan is promising, but results are showing many false positives.


RELATED LINKS:

National Cancer Institue
Lung Cancer Information

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