Unlike mammography for breast cancer or colonoscopy for colon cancer, there has been no widely accepted screening tool to detect lung cancer at an early stage. With the growing consensus that annual low-dose computed tomography (CT) screening should be recommended for individuals at high risk for lung cancer, the American Lung Association is launching an online tool to help users determine whether they meet the guidelines to be screened. If this screening were widely implemented, 3,000 to 4,000 lives could be saved annually.
The timing of the launch of the online tool, LungCancerScreeningSavesLives.org, leads up to Lung Cancer Awareness Month in November. The site asks visitors a series of questions that helps determine whether they meet the guidelines to be screened for lung cancer.
"Lung cancer is the number one cancer killer in America. This new online assessment tool is a first step toward promoting low-dose screenings that can help identify lung cancers at an earlier, treatable stage, so we can save the lives of people who otherwise might not have been cured," says Albert Rizzo, M.D., former American Lung Association National Board Chair and member of the Lung Association's Lung Cancer Screening Panel and chief of Christiana Care Health System's Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Section.
The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recently issued draft recommendations for annual low-dose CT screening for individuals at high risk for lung cancer; an estimated seven million Americans. This includes current or former smokers, ages 55-79, who have smoked the equivalent of a pack a day for 30 years and have smoked within the past 15 years.
“I am a 13 year survivor who had early diagnosis of inoperable stage 111B lung cancer and can attest that early screening and treatment does save lives,” says Cheryl Vial, cancer survivor and Lung Association supporter. “The new online assessment tool is fast and easy to use. If you are at risk there is help and you too can survive Oregon’s leading cancer killer.”
“We’re excited to launch this new tool and the lifesaving potential of low-dose screenings. It’s a big step in the fight against lung cancer,” said Beverly Stewart, Regional Director of Health Initiatives of the American Lung Association. “The USPSTF’s recommendations further the opportunity to raise awareness about the availability of a tool for early detection, ultimately increasing lung cancer survival rates.”
The Lung Association has created this online tool to help people understand quickly whether they are candidates for low-dose CT screening. In addition to the online lung cancer screening assessment tool, the Lung Association provides several resources for lung cancer patients and their caregivers, including: Facing Lung Cancer from Day One, an online tool with valuable educational and supportive resources; and the Lung Connection, an online community for people living with lung disease. The Lung HelpLine can also answer questions about lung health or CT screenings; calls are toll-free at 1-800-LUNG-USA.
