Personalized Lung Cancer Screening Tool Adds Asbestos Exposure

A University of Michigan and Veterans Affairs research team has developed a novel, personalized lung cancer screening tool that accounts for past asbestos exposure. Asbestos exposure is best known as the primary cause of mesothelioma, but it also significantly increases the chance of developing lung cancer. Adding asbestos to the lung-cancer screening tool also should help identify mesothelioma in its earliest stages, when it is most treatable. Mesothelioma is not usually diagnosed until it has progressed into stage 3 or stage 4, when treatment is more palliative than potentially curative. The tool is designed to better identify people who may benefit — and who won’t benefit — from low dose computed tomography (CT) screening for lung cancer. Early CT screening has become more popular in recent years, leading to a reduction in lung cancer mortality, yet it remains a controversial topic. More than 200,000 Americans are diagnosed with lung cancer each year, and it remains the leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Personalizing Lung Cancer Screening The innovative screening tool stems from a study the team published May 29 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. It details best practices for doctors to personalize lung cancer screening decisions for each patient. The study explores individual lung cancer risks along with potential benefits. It also explores patient attitudes concerning problems and consequences that could arise with screening. “It’s easy for ...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Source Type: news