Much has been said about the benefits of cancer screening, and it now plays a major part in Western healthcare systems. However, there is one type of cancer for which we don’t hear much about screening procedures. Lung cancer mortality rates have been shown to benefit from screening; a claim that has now been unreservedly accepted by the medical community since a large-scale study in 2011. The study showed that annual CT scans focused on the torso area could cut lung cancer’s mortality rate by 20% due to early detection. So why has this procedure not been made widely available?
CT scans employ the use of a radioactive substance that spreads throughout the body and highlights the cells that use the most energy when viewed under x-ray. As the cells that use most energy, the presence and location of cancer cells shows up under this form of screening. However, there are drawbacks involved. The annual use of this type of screening would carry risks associated with radioactivity. Furthermore, results can be approximate, and when mistaken could cause harm by the follow-up procedures they entail.
In the face of these risks, the American Cancer Society has decided to recommend it for current and former heavy smokers of the age range 55 to 74. Screening is only advised for those within this age range who have smoked a pack a day for 30 years, or the equivalent. This decision was arrived at after a serious, collaborative discussion of the risks and benefits. Since lung cancer rarely appears before the age of 55, it does not seem wise to spread the risk to those of a younger age group. In the case of lifelong and heavy smokers, it is clear that the potential life-saving benefits outweigh the risk, and they are invited to undergo cancer screening provided they fully understand both the risks and benefits.
Responses to the notion of cancer screening vary. Some smokers consider that it may also provide a healthy psychological effect, with regular check-ups forming an unavoidable reminder of the risk they are undergoing, and prompting them to take action to improve their wellbeing. Other smokers fear that a clear test result would encourage them to neglect wellness issues even more and start to believe that they have carte blanche to indulge in damaging lifestyle habits. In any case, all parties agree that the potential 20% increase in survival rates from lung cancer gives a cause for celebration.
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