Lung cancer screening: the opportunity to increase survival
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Lung cancer screening: the opportunity to increase survival

Leigh Kinczewski Graduate student, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

Leigh Kinczewski considers the potential for computerised tomography screening programmes to reduce mortality rates

In recent decades, patients with many forms of cancer have seen dramatic improvements in survival as a result of widespread, effective screening programmes allowing for early detection in at-risk populations. Lung cancer is the latest malignancy to benefit from a growing body of evidence to support a screening method. Research shows that low-dose computerised tomography can detect lung cancers at a stage when they are more treatable, thus creating an opportunity to reduce mortality. Many questions remain about the need for patients to undergo additional procedures, with the increased stress and decreased quality of life from positive results, and screening presents a potential economic burden. Nevertheless, oncology nurses should be knowledgeable and advocate for further work to improve outcomes for patients with lung cancer.

Cancer Nursing Practice. 13, 7, 18-22. doi: 10.7748/cnp.13.7.18.e1062

Correspondence

leighkin@gmail.com

Peer review

This article has been subject to double blind peer review

Conflict of interest

None declared

Received: 03 January 2014

Accepted: 11 August 2014

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