Lung Cancer: How It Has Always Been Done

It’s been the “go-to” form of screening for decades, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention no longer recommends it. A new study out of Norway confirms that at best, the x-ray catches only 20 percent of lung cancer cases, and runs the risk of causing other diseases due to exposure to x-rays. Yet, despite the availability of CT scans, many doctors have continued to use the x-Ray as their go-to screening for lung cancer.

Lung cancer can be particularly malignant, as the fast-replicating cells of the disease find lungs to be an ideal environment due to the amount of space there is for growth. And, American’s long fascination with smoking and other cancer-causing activities has provided carcinogens ample opportunity to make a home in our lungs. Yet many doctors still prefer to use an outdated, relatively inaccurate method of screening for this most dangerous of diseases.

For the most part, we trust our doctors, and if they advise one test over another we tend to believe that they know what they are talking about. Unfortunately, many doctors are not up to date on modern medicine, and so they continue to follow what were considered best practices decades ago.

Screening for lung cancer is very important, particularly if you:

• Are a heavy smoker
• Used to be a pack-a-day smoker or more in the last fifteen years
• Are between the ages of 55 to 74
• Have been exposed to environmental toxins in your workplace

Some doctors resist this type of screening, but when it’s your health on the line, it’s important you do everything you can to make sure that you’re safe. If you or a loved one has lung cancer, and you believe that an earlier diagnosis should have been made, don’t hesitate to contact a lawyer to help you get the answers you need.