Doc Alan
23rd March 2012, 11:58
Lung cancer is the commonest form of cancer-related death in the world, including UK and Philippines. Scotland has one of the highest rates (16% of cases in UK, higher than its proportion of the population, 8% ).A quarter of Scots admit to smoking, compared to a fifth in UK as a whole. Less than one in ten patients with lung cancer are still alive five years after diagnosis, and the outlook has remained the same for years.
Most cases are due to active smoking, the rest passive smoking, occupational ( asbestos ), or other air pollution. Lung is also a common site for cancers to spread from elsewhere in the body – something doctors need to remember. Less than a fifth of smokers who consume 20 or more cigarettes a day will develop lung cancer, so there are “ host “ / genetic factors involved. Identify the mutations involved and drugs can be tailored to deal with the cancerous cells – that is how cancers will be treated in the future.
Signs usually include:
• cough that persists for two or three weeks, or a worsening / changing of a long standing cough
• repeated chest infections
• coughing up blood
• persistent breathlessness, tiredness or lack of energy,
• weight loss
• persistent chest or shoulder pain.
If you have any of these , see your GP. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ve got lung cancer, but it’s best to get it checked out. The earlier the condition is diagnosed, the better the chance of treatment being successful.
There is no screening progamme for lung cancer. If someone has symptoms they may be referred for an X-ray or a CT scan, although they are often not available because they are so expensive, especially in the Philippines. . Most are not diagnosed until the disease has reached an advanced stage. Early identification would improve chances of survival - patients can be treated when their general health is better and when less aggressive treatment may be required than if the cancer had spread.
Scotland has an especially costly problem with lung cancer ( in every way ), so ten thousand smokers there are to take part in a trial screening programme, beginning before the end of the year - first results expected in 2014.
It will involve those who have smoked at least 20 a day for more than 20 year.
Half of them will get a blood test, and the other half will not. The test, “ EarlyCDT-Lung “, has been available in USA for two years - already results show a better outlook through earlier detection. The half who have the blood test and are positive will be followed up with CT scans to confirm if lung cancer is present. The other half will be given chest X-rays. NHS Scotland thinks the screening test will not only be cheaper and more accurate than using CT scans, but early detection will also save a lot of money and improve death rates by up to 20 per cent.
Invented and developed at Nottingham University, the Early CDT ( Cancer Detection Test ) could improve the way cancers such as lung, breast, colon and prostate are detected and treated.
It tests for “ auto-antibodies “ , the immune system’s response to cancer proteins, before there are other signs.
A company, Oncimmune Ltd, was set up through the university to develop and market the test.
They hope to have tests for breast cancer ready by next year, followed by colon, prostate cancers and other solid tumours. They will not be available on the NHS - patients wanting it will for the moment have to pay privately.
So advice is the same as always – cut down or give up smoking before it’s too late – benefits do become noticeable almost immediately as any ex-smoker will confirm !
Most cases are due to active smoking, the rest passive smoking, occupational ( asbestos ), or other air pollution. Lung is also a common site for cancers to spread from elsewhere in the body – something doctors need to remember. Less than a fifth of smokers who consume 20 or more cigarettes a day will develop lung cancer, so there are “ host “ / genetic factors involved. Identify the mutations involved and drugs can be tailored to deal with the cancerous cells – that is how cancers will be treated in the future.
Signs usually include:
• cough that persists for two or three weeks, or a worsening / changing of a long standing cough
• repeated chest infections
• coughing up blood
• persistent breathlessness, tiredness or lack of energy,
• weight loss
• persistent chest or shoulder pain.
If you have any of these , see your GP. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ve got lung cancer, but it’s best to get it checked out. The earlier the condition is diagnosed, the better the chance of treatment being successful.
There is no screening progamme for lung cancer. If someone has symptoms they may be referred for an X-ray or a CT scan, although they are often not available because they are so expensive, especially in the Philippines. . Most are not diagnosed until the disease has reached an advanced stage. Early identification would improve chances of survival - patients can be treated when their general health is better and when less aggressive treatment may be required than if the cancer had spread.
Scotland has an especially costly problem with lung cancer ( in every way ), so ten thousand smokers there are to take part in a trial screening programme, beginning before the end of the year - first results expected in 2014.
It will involve those who have smoked at least 20 a day for more than 20 year.
Half of them will get a blood test, and the other half will not. The test, “ EarlyCDT-Lung “, has been available in USA for two years - already results show a better outlook through earlier detection. The half who have the blood test and are positive will be followed up with CT scans to confirm if lung cancer is present. The other half will be given chest X-rays. NHS Scotland thinks the screening test will not only be cheaper and more accurate than using CT scans, but early detection will also save a lot of money and improve death rates by up to 20 per cent.
Invented and developed at Nottingham University, the Early CDT ( Cancer Detection Test ) could improve the way cancers such as lung, breast, colon and prostate are detected and treated.
It tests for “ auto-antibodies “ , the immune system’s response to cancer proteins, before there are other signs.
A company, Oncimmune Ltd, was set up through the university to develop and market the test.
They hope to have tests for breast cancer ready by next year, followed by colon, prostate cancers and other solid tumours. They will not be available on the NHS - patients wanting it will for the moment have to pay privately.
So advice is the same as always – cut down or give up smoking before it’s too late – benefits do become noticeable almost immediately as any ex-smoker will confirm !