The American Lung Association Gives It's Response to the Results of the National Lung Screening Trial
Optimism has been expressed by the American Lung Association regarding the recent results of the National Cancer Institute's National Lung Screening trial that took place in the United States. The results of the trial seem to show that low dosages of CT scans have a remarkable affect on the mortality rates of lung cancer sufferers.
The results of this study were made available in the 'New England Journal of Medicine'. This research is the very first of its kind to discover that the screening of people with high risks of cancer with low dosages of CT scans results in a reduction in their mortality rate of almost 20% when put into comparison with scans done using X-Rays.
During the course of this research, past and present smokers that have no cancer history but have nonetheless spent their lives smoking at least one cigarette pack a day for thirty years and were aged between fifty five and seventy four, underwent examination. The leaders of this research were careful to explain that their research does not provide sufficient evidence to enable a move forward with the recommendation of cancer screening. Nonetheless this and other studies deemed relevant will undergo review by the American Preventive Services Task Force in the year 2012.
A panel of experts is also being called in by the American Lung Association in order to enable them to conduct reviews on the National Lung Screening Trials; this will allow them to provide policies and recommendations. The expert panel is to be led by one of America's best lung health experts and also a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the American Lung Association, Doctor Jonathan M. Samet, M.S.
Approximately one hundred and sixty thousand individuals are killed by lung cancer every single year, this makes it one of the world's most common forms of cancer with an excess of two hundred and twenty thousand people diagnosed with it annually. Lung cancer is the most common killer cancer within America, this is made worse because this form of cancer is most treatable in its early stages but only fifteen percent of cases are diagnosed in the early stages. Lung cancer is thought to be primarily caused by smoking.
Support and education for individuals diagnosed with lung cancer s provided by the American Lung Association. The American Lung Association leads the world in the increase of lung cancer awareness as the most prevalent killer cancer for both males and females. This organisation is dedicated to providing funding for research focused on lung cancer.