Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for both men and women
and overall the number two cause of death, following Heart
Disease. In 2004 there will be about 173,770 new cases of lung cancer
in the United States and about 160,440 people will die of this disease
(The
American Cancer Society).
Synopsis
Previous scanning methods did not detect lung
cancer in the early stages. In fact, four out of five lung cancers when
found, were incurable. Formerly, about a 12% cure rate was possible once
lung cancer was detected. Now, by way of new diagnostic imaging techniques,
lung cancer detected in very early stages of development (before symptoms
ever begin to arise) results in an 85-100% survival rate between both
men and women. In just one easy breath, very thin sections of your lungs
can now be imaged. Affiliated Medical's new scanning methods can detect
cancer, even as small as the tip of a safety pin, much earlier than ever
before and the majority of cancers found with CT technology can be
cured if diagnosed in the early stages.
PATIENTS
RECOMMENDED FOR A LUNG CANCER SCREENING TEST
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You
are 50 years of age or older
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You
currently smoke or are a former smoker
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You
have a history of a prior cancer within the last 5 years
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If
you have severe emphysema or COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary
Disease)
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If
you have been exposed to asbestos in your line of work
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Solutions
Lung nodule that was found by a lung cancer CT screening.
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CT screening is simply the best method to
detect cancer in its earliest stage. Since the majority of lung
cancers originate as a small growth, or nodule in the lung, screening
CT scans are extremely sensitive in detecting nodules as small as
1 or 2 mm within the lungs very early on in prognosis. Lung Screening
CT scans are capable of detecting lung nodules much smaller than
by conventional chest X-ray methods. Typically, lung cancer tumors
are the size of an orange before they are discovered through an
X-ray. In fact, in the recently published articles on CT screening
the majority of lung cancers that were found on CT scanning could
not be detected on the chest X-ray that was performed simultaneously.
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If a nodule is found on a screening CT scan,
then a decision is made to either biopsy the nodule if it appears
suspicious for cancer, or to repeat a CT scan within 6 to 12 weeks
to determine if the nodule has grown. Should the nodule grow, this
is highly suspicious for malignancy, and a recommendation to biopsy
the nodule is warranted. If on the other hand the nodule remains
stable in size, and does not change, then continued observation
is usually advised.
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Affiliated Medical of Dearborn understands the critical value of early
detection in Lung Cancer. Diagnostic CT lung scanning shows enormous promise
in providing early detection for lung disorders such as emphysema, cancer,
pulmonary embolism, pneumonia, and much more.
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