- About 1.8 million deaths each year are attributable to lung cancer, making it the leading cause of cancer death around the world.
- Only 16% of people with lung cancer receive an early diagnosis, which offers a much higher survival rate.
- Researchers say they have developed a new way to detect lung cancer at its earliest stages using an inhaler and a simple urine test.
About
Previous research reports that
However, as with any type of cancer, an
Now, researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) say they have developed a new way to detect lung cancer at its earliest stages using an inhaler and a simple urine test.
The study was recently published in the journal Science Advances.
Current guidelines recommend anyone between the ages of 55 and 80 years old who has a history of heavy smoking should be screened for lung cancer.
Right now, the gold standard for lung cancer screening is the low-dose computed tomography (CT) scan. However, CT scans can sometimes produce
Past research shows that the
“Lung cancer is such a difficult diagnosis for many patients because it doesn’t give us many warning signs before it’s at an advanced stage,” explained Dr. Michael Spallone, a thoracic surgeon with Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey who was not involved in this study. “In fact, many of the lung cancers we diagnose on a day-to-day basis is based off of incidental findings; in other words,…
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