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A study shows CT scans of the lungs of heavy smokers reduced lung cancer-related deaths by 20 percent. It's the first time lung cancer screening was shown to save lives. Another test is helping patients avoid unnecessary surgery.

The middle step between cancer detection and treatment is tumor stage identification.

In a Netherlands study 118 lung cancer patients had the stage of their cancer determined by standard surgical procedures. Another 123 underwent a non-surgical endoscopic ultrasound -- endosonography -- to examine the cancer without surgery.

The authors found that the endoscopic ultrasound, followed by surgery, identified locally advanced cancer 94 percent of the time.

That compares to 79 percent by surgery alone and 85 percent by endosonography alone.

The authors conclude that identification of lung cancer by endosonography and standard surgical procedures is not only better at identifying the stage of the cancer, but also protects the patient from undergoing unnecessary major surgery at a time when they are already being bombarded with multiple treatments for their cancer.

Source: abc7News

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