New recommendation encourages more activist approach to lung cancer...( ler lung cancers says Matthew Freedma...),Health

The Como International Conference was held in 2003. It built upon the 1998 "International Conference on Prevention and Early Diagnosis of Lung Cancer," held in Varese, Italy. While the Varese Conference helped revitalize interest in screening for lung cancer, it made no recommendation that high-risk individuals should consider screening outside the context of a clinical trial. The Como Conference was held to address whether, five years later, sufficient evidence exists to advise high-risk individuals to consider screening for lung cancer.

Lung cancer is the most common and the most deadly cancer in the world, killing an estimated 1.1 million people around the globe each year. More people will die of lung cancer this year in the United States than will die from breast, prostate, colon and pancreatic cancers combined. Lung cancer is usually detected in advanced stages, when long-term survival is unlikely. Overall survival is 11 percent worldwide and 15 percent in the United States. On the other hand, when lung cancer is detected in the earliest stage, the survival rate is 70 to 85 percent.

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Contact: Nicole Gustin
ngustin@lifespan.org
401-444-7299
Lifespan
11-Apr-2005