Study Says Lung Cancer Survival Increases Sharply If Caught Early

According to a recent study in England, increased screening to identify and monitor people at high risk for lung cancer could increase their chance for five-year survival by nearly three-quarters. 

Researchers at the University of Liverpool suggest leaders in Britain set up a national screening program to catch more lung cancer earlier, with the hope of saving, or preserving, the lives of people diagnosed with the disease. 

Already difficult to treat, lung cancer often poses an even greater challenge for doctors because 70 percent of the time it is not found until it is at an advanced stage and possibly incurable. 

The large trial undertaken by researchers is the first to be conducted in England, and uses a population-based questionnaire to identify people at high risk for the disease, researchers said.  A similar trial in the United States is said to have reduced lung cancer death by about 20 percent. 

The Lung Cancer Screening program at Saint Francis offers those with a high risk of developing lung cancer the opportunity to screen for and diagnose lung cancer before symptoms develop. 

To learn more about low-dose lung cancer screenings at Saint Francis Memorial Hospital, please click here, or call 415-353-6390 today.