Several weeks ago Peter Jennings ABC’s anchor on World News tonight announced that he had lung cancer which he attributed to his long time habit of smoking. He went on the air in a very raspy voice telling the world about his lung cancer, and his plans to start chemo the next week. Lung Cancer claims an estimated 165,000 lives a year, more than any other type of cancer. It’s been deadly in large part because there’s been no effective way to spot it before it spreads. Although a smoker has to realize that they are a risk, and that hacking cough is not an allergy.

Now a new test could make catching the disease early is as simple as   exhaling. A new invention called the Lungscan was just announced that works like a souped up alcohol breathalyzer, but a billion times more sensitive according it’s inventor Dr. Michael Phillips, a physician at the New York Medical College. Within minutes, the device can capture more than 30 types of signature chemicals produced by cancerous cells and  excreted in the breath. The procedure itself is said to be simple and noninvasive. A patient breathes into a tube for about two minutes while a powerful pump draws the breath into a steel cylinder that is packed with carbon. The carbon traps these volatile organic compounds, and then the sample is sent to a laboratory for chemical analysis. The Lungcan’s      accuracy is impressive, according to a recent study that was funded by the National Institutes of Health. In the trials the device flagged 85 % of lung cancers in their early stages, when survival rates can top  75 %.

This test won’t replace biopsies and CT scans that are now used to definitively diagnose tumors, but it could become the first effective screening tool for lung cancer according to them. If the Food and Drug         Administration gives its final approval the Lungscan could be in Doctor’s offices within two years. 

Dogs have been shown to have special abilities in sniffing out cancer too and you can read about this by clicking : Dog sniffs out cancer article  

         LUNG CANCER

American Cancer Society

         The Cancer Prevention short  list

 

1. Don’t smoke

2. Maintain a normal weight

3. Eat a variety of fruits, and veggies, along with high fiber type foods

4. Cut down on Fats and smoked or cured meats.

5. Protect yourself from Sun damage.

6. Restrict the amount of alcohol you drink

7. Follow safety rules-if you work with  harmful chemicals in the workplace.

8. Gather information for a family health history

9. See your Doctor, and get screening tests done

10. Start living a healthier lifestyle.

Men’s Health   

 

Double Nickels 55  Electronic Magazine for Active Adults