Lung Cancer is a deadly disease and a huge problem in the modern world. Most people don’t realize that it has a remarkably high mortality rate. More than 200,000 Americans will receive news this year that they are affected by lung cancer. Worse yet, less than 40,000 of those diagnosed will still be alive in five years. Long story short, lung cancer is the leading cause of death in both men and women. This could be prevented if the cancer is caught early on, which would mean annual screening for lung cancer in high risk individuals.
If the cancer is found early enough there’s a greater chance that it can be surgically removed. Unfortunately, at an early stage there are very few symptoms so it can be difficult to diagnose. Most often, by the time cancer is found in a patient it has already spread to vital organs or central areas of the body and is therefore incurable. That is why annual screening for lung cancer is recommended.
Early Screening Can Save Lives
Recent studies have been conducted where high risk patients are screened regularly using low-dose spiral chest CT scans. According to the results, it is suggested that 12,000 fewer deaths would occur every year due to lung cancer if this were carried out more often. In other words, screening high risk patients for cancer means that it can be caught and diagnosed at a much earlier stage.
However, one of the biggest issues with such a practice is that CT scans can be very costly. Annual scans for more than 8 million people (of high-risk) would be extremely expensive. Both the government and insurance providers will not be willing to pay the associated costs, which would mean an out of pocket expense for patients up to $1,000 or more.
How Does This Apply to Non-Smokers?
This begs the very serious question: would non-smokers benefit from such a costly screening procedure?
Believe it or not, lung cancer is prominent even in non-smokers. Nearly 15 percent of lung cancers are found in non-smokers, or moderate smokers who have had little contact. It is still possible to be diagnosed with lung cancer even if you have never smoked tobacco or been exposed to it by someone that does.
Tobacco smoke is not the only significant cause of lung cancer, however.
Radon induced lung cancer is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. It is responsible for more than 22,000 lung cancer deaths every year and it can affect both smokers and non-smokers alike. Even though smokers are more susceptible to cancer after being exposed to radon, individuals who have never smoked a day in their lives can still be affected. It is estimated that one in every 15 households in the US has dangerous levels of radon within it. Exposure to the deadly gas over time can be extremely dangerous and even life-threatening.
What’s the Point?
Regardless, of whether or not you have been around tobacco smoke – you should have yourself screened for lung cancer regularly. The American Cancer Society states that people ages 55 to 74 with a 30 pack a year smoking history, or aged 50 and older with a 20 pack per year smoking history and prolonged radon exposure are at an exceptionally high risk. The aforementioned parties should definitely undergo annual screening. That being said, everyone is strongly advised to do so. The faster you catch the disease, the more likely you are to survive – if it spreads throughout your body it becomes less curable.
Via: Insurance News Net
