New techniques for identifying lung cancer earlier –including a new type of chest screening, a nanotech ‘nose’ and a method to examine the cells of the cheek-- are showing substantial promise, according to presentations at the 3rd European Lung Cancer Conference (ELCC) in Geneva. “Early detection of lung cancer is vital to improve lung cancer survival rates,” commented Egbert F. Smit, professor of pulmunary medicine at the VU University Medical Centre in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, member of the IASLC Prevention, Screening and Early Detection Committee. “Currently, low-dose CT is the only early detection modality that has shown to improve survival rates. However, identifying persons at risk for lung cancer by methods that use less radiation, would be preferable. In this meeting three such methods are presented which hold some promise for future studies,” he concluded.
