Early Detection of Lung Cancer in High-Risk Patients
Lung Cancer Screening at Roswell Park Cancer Institute
Roswell Park Cancer Institute offers the greater Buffalo Community a unique Lung Cancer Screening Program to detect early lung lesions and cancers in people at high risk for lung cancer. By offering a comprehensive screening program that utilizes two important tests (bronchoscopy and CT); we hope to catch lung cancers at the earliest, most treatable stages. In addition to lung cancer screening and state of-the-art prevention studies, Roswell also offers comprehensive cancer treatment to improve both the survival and quality of life of patients diagnosed with lung cancer.
Lung Cancer: the Background
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Lung cancer kills more people each year than all of the other major cancers COMBINED. One American dies from lung cancer every 5 minutes. Almost 178,000 Americans will be diagnosed with lung cancer this year. Lung cancer is subtle, and it often causes no symptoms until it is spread outside the lung. Hence, only 15% of the patients diagnosed with lung cancer survive for at least 5 years, and this rate has not improved in the last 25 years. The lung cancer patients who do survive longer are the patients with “early-stage” disease. The best way to obtain a longer survival would be to screen high risk patients for early cancerous changes. If we find that you do have a lung cancer, you can be seen by doctors at Roswell Park who offer the most advanced treatments known.
At the present time, the American Cancer Society does not recommend screening for lung cancer for the general public, as it does for other cancers like breast, prostate and colon. Studies of screening with Spiral CT alone have been inconclusive. At Roswell Park, we identify people at increased risk of lung cancer and use the best screening tools available to provide comprehensive care and monitoring.
Who is at a High Risk of Lung Cancer?
We all know that smoking cigarettes increases the chance for getting lung cancer. People with a history of smoking 10-20 years are especially at increased risk. We also know that people with a history of asbestos-related lung disease have an increased risk of lung cancer, and those with both smoking and asbestos exposure have an extraordinary risk of lung cancer.
In addition, people with a prior lung, esophageal, laryngeal or oral cancer who have been cured have a high risk of developing a second lung cancer. Finally, lung cancer risk is also elevated in patients who have severe emphysema or chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD), and in smokers with a family history of lung cancer.
New Tools for Early Detection at Roswell Park Cancer Institute
A technique called Autofluorescent Bronchoscopy (AFB) is an imaging system that is approved by the FDA for use in the United States. Studies have shown that this device actually doubles the physician’s ability to see a tiny surface cancer in the airway. This system has been in use at Roswell Park Cancer Institute since 1998. There is evidence that the use this type of exam to check high-risk patients for lung cancer will enable physicians to identify early curable disease.
Although the AFB holds promise for the early detection of lung cancer located in the center of the chest, it is unlikely to be helpful for the detection of early lung cancer located at the edge of the lung. These types of lung cancer are so small that they may not even appear on a regular chest x-ray and cannot be seen with the bronchoscope. A scan of the chest called Spiral CT has been effective in detecting early “peripheral” lung cancers. The spiral CT is quick and takes about 10 seconds to obtain a detailed picture of the lungs and the radiation dose is similar to a single chest x-ray.
By combining both AFB and Spiral CT, our physicians are better able to detect early stage lung cancers anywhere in the lung.
New Research Studies On-going at RPCI to Prevent Lung Cancer
There are now clinical research studies at Roswell focused on the prevention of lung cancer for people who are diagnosed with early lung lesions. These studies use Vitamin D or low dose cancer drugs that we hope will prevent these early lesions from progressing into cancer. If you are screened and have an early lesion you may be eligible for one of these important studies. We combine our screening program with the Stacey Scott Lung Cancer Registry, a world-wide research effort, based at Roswell Park, to better understand the early changes in the lung that may predict the future development of lung cancer. You can learn more about the registry and what you can do to participate or help by going to our website or calling 716-845-3965.
Need More Information?
If you want to be a part of our program or need to see if you are at high risk, please call 1-877-ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724) and ask about our lung cancer screening clinic and about our clinical research studies.
