Alberta-based study looks at how to screen for those at risk of lung cancer

CALGARY – Alberta researchers have launched a new study to figure out how to identify and treat lung cancer before it’s too late.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among men and women in Canada.

The pilot study will try to identify smokers and ex-smokers who are most at risk for lung cancer and screen them annually using low-dose CT scans over a three-year period.

Dr. Alain Tremblay, the Calgary-based principal investigator in the study, said by the time people start to experience symptoms, it is often too late.

He says screening has the potential to reduce the number of deaths, but the challenge is to determine who is most at risk.

Scientists say that between 85 and 90 per cent of all lung cancers occur in current smokers or ex-smokers and that the number of cases among ex-smokers is rising as more people kick the habit.

Researchers will take a look at a number of factors to determine a person’s risk of developing lung cancer including: smoking history, family history of cancer, educational level, demographic information and ethnicity.

“We want to create a screening program that will enable us to catch the disease at its early stages, when it’s potentially curable,” said Dr. Eric Bédard, AHS Edmonton Zone section head for thoracic surgery.

“Identifying those most at risk for lung cancer is one of the key tasks ahead of us. We don’t want to expose Albertans at no or low risk to unnecessary diagnostic testing. This research is helping us to refine that criteria.”

Scientists started recruiting participants for the study earlier this year and so far, screening found one patient with an early stage lung cancer called adenocarcinoma, which was successfully removed with surgery.

“We know the importance of being able to detect cancer at an early stage and have committed to raise $2.5 million for this pilot research project so we can implement a sustainable program in Alberta,” said Myka Osinchuk, CEO of the Alberta Cancer Foundation.

“The fact these researchers have already detected lung cancer this early into the project shows the immediate impact this investment is having on Alberta cancer patients.”

(CTV Calgary)