New swab test assesses risk of lung cancer
Even though lung cancer is one of the most deadly cancers in the world, it is also one of the most preventable. Unfortunately, people still continue to light up around the world blissfully ignorant of the risk they are taking with each puff. New Zealand scientists are hoping to change that with the development of a new test that will allow people to personally assess their risk of developing lung cancer. The test is administered using only a simple swab test.
Alan Conlon, a smoker of 40 years who gave up four years ago after the examination rated his chances of developing lung cancer were extremely high said, “We’re dealing with a technical breakthrough in my view and I’m delighted to have been a part of it, these guys are right onto it. They saved my life and they’ve given me a new lease on life and I’m as fit as I was oh maybe five or ten years ago.”
Lung cancer is an extremely important issue in New Zealand with 1,400 deaths a year and is the leading cause of cancer deaths in men. Dr Robert Young of the University of Auckland hopes that by confronting smokers with the cold hard truth will help encourage more people to butt out their smokes permanently. “Smokers are concerned at lung cancer in recognising it as an issue and bringing it to their attention. We know from various type of studies that this type of risk personalisation helps people to quit smoking,” says Dr Young.
Peter Martin from the Quit Group cautions that the test is not an excuse for people with a moderate risk assessment to continue to puff away: “I mean that it doesn’t identify the smokers who can cheerfully go on smoking in the belief that the risk for them is low, it isn’t. The risk for lung cancer is quite high even for the moderate risk ones. And the risk of all these other diseases, such as coronary heart disease remain unchanged,” says Martin.
Source: 3news.co.nz
Tags: Health, Lung Cancer, Risk Assessment, Smoking, Swab Test
