Lung cancer is the second most common cancer after breast cancer. 70 percent of cases are due to smoking.
In Austria, this diagnosis is made around 5,000 times a year. About 4000 people die from it every year. Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death in men (21 percent) and the second most common cause of death after breast cancer in women (17 percent). In addition to smoking, contact with the fibrous material asbestos and a family history are decisive for the development of lung carcinoma. Effective ways to prevent and treat lung cancer are smoking prevention and early detection by means of CT scans of patients at risk. “A number of studies from the USA and Europe have shown that examinations using low-dose CT can significantly reduce lung cancer mortality,” said Helmut Prosch from MedUni Vienna on the occasion of the World Lung Cancer Congress, which starts tomorrow in Vienna takes place.
Technological advances and drug development have also had a significant impact on the mortality rate among lung cancer patients over the past 15 years. For example, low-dose CT screening, molecularly targeted therapies, and immune checkpoint inhibitors can prolong disease-free survival in all stages of lung cancer.
Source: Nachrichten
