One of the most devastating things about lung cancer is that most diagnoses happen at a very late stage in the disease’s development, too late for life-saving treatments. Finding methods for early detection, such as chest X-rays or CT scans, is crucial.

A study that was published in the October 26, 2006 New England Journal of Medicine, showed promise for early detection using computed tomography, or CT scans. Doctors at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center screened more than 31,000 patients at high risk for lung cancer before they had any symptoms. The scans detected Stage 1 lung cancer in 412 people.

A study reported in 2005 by the National Cancer Institute (part of the National Institutes of Health), showed that screening for lung cancer with chest X-rays can detect early lung cancer but also can produce many false-positive test results. So far, neither chest X-rays nor CT scans have been shown to reduce a person’s chance of dying from lung cancer, but the NCI is currently conducting the National Lung Screening Trial, comparing the two methods. The study, which is expected to end in 2009, hopes to show if either test is better at reducing deaths from this disease. 

After all, one person can make a difference. Look at what Nancy G. Brinker has done with the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation. Nancy promised her dying sister that she would do everything she could to end breast cancer. Twenty-five years later, Komen for the Cure is the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists, investing more than $1 billion to fight breast cancer. One of the group’s greatest victories is that nearly 75% of women over 40 years old now receive regular mammograms, the single most effective tool for detecting breast cancer early.

The Drive for Hope organizers are dedicated to increasing the profile of lung cancer sufferers, erasing the stigma and finding a way to detect lung cancer at an early stage, before hope is gone. By supporting Drive for Hope, you are helping to fund important research. You can also help by starting a conversation with your doctor about chest X-rays or CT scans and your risks for lung cancer. Our goal should be early screening for all.