Lung cancer, which is associated with an overall 5-year survival of less than 20%, is the most lethal of all cancers. According to experts in Pneumology, the main problem with lung cancer is that it does not present symptoms until it is in an advanced stage, so when it is detected the therapeutic possibilities are scarce, the prognosis very poor and the patient’s survival very short.
What is screening?
To improve the prognosis of lung cancer it is important to diagnose it at a very early stage, when the size is small (a few centimeters). In this way, the tumor can be removed and the patient’s survival and prognosis are greatly improved.
The way to make an early diagnosis of lung cancer is through screening. This consists of performing a low-radiation CT scan (equivalent to a mammogram) once a year on the population at greatest risk of suffering from the disease (people between 40 and 70 years of age, smokers or ex-smokers of a certain number of cigarettes per day). Studies show that if the patient develops lung cancer during the annual follow-up, the CT scan detects it when it is only a few centimeters old, so it can be removed.
This advance could mean a radical change in the way lung cancer diagnosis is made, making it possible to significantly increase patient survival.
Lung cancer screening, in or out of the service portfolio?
For some months now, the American health system, Medicare, has been recommending and paying for lung cancer screening in people between 55 and 77 years of age who smoke or have smoked a significant amount of tobacco throughout their lives. In Spain, however, the National Health System has not yet made a decision on the inclusion of this program in its portfolio of services. Doing so could undoubtedly improve the life expectancy of many people.