Early Screening and Intervention in Lung Cancer

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), lung cancer is the leading cause of death in cancer patients worldwide, 1.8 million people were diagnosed with lung cancer in 2012. The American Cancer Society predicts that by 2015 there will be 158,000 fatalities in America caused by lung cancer. In fact, lung cancer has claimed the lives of more people than prostate, breast and colon cancer combined! This alarming data stresses the importance of early computed tomography (CT) screening in order to detect lung cancer, thereby minimizing this global economic and health burden.

The International Association of Lung Cancer (IASLC) is the only organization that focuses on the study of lung cancer, comprising of over 4,000 lung cancer specialists from over 80 countries. The organization publish their findings in their journal, Journal of Thoracic Oncology, a valuable tool to both medical scientists and scientists specifically in detection, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer.

Improving Lung Cancer Screening ProtocolProfessor Nir Peled – Lung Cancer Expert Oncologist and Pulmonologist

Recently, Professor Nir Peled, world-renowned oncologist and pulmonologist and head of the chair of the IASLCs Prevention & Screening committee was in attendance of a major CT Screening Workshop. The conference featured leading experts in CT screening from Australia, Europe, Japan and more. The main aim of this workshop was to discuss ways in which to implement effective screening protocols on a global scale, as well as sharing of new developments within lung cancer screening and methods of selecting high-risk individuals for a prospective screening program.

Following this workshop was a prestigious international conference, the 16th Annual World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) – an astounding 7,000 researchers, physicians and specialists from over 100 countries attend this prestigious event to implement and present new and highly effective strategies through large-scale collaboration and awareness regarding the developments in lung cancer. The conference is unique in that it welcomes advocates and patients to attend to hear about the latest treatment in lung cancer and more.

Screening to Avoid Invasive Procedures

Low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) has accomplished a 20% reduction in lung cancer-related fatalities; however, implementation on a global-scale of LDCT is still ongoing. Prof. Peled attended, the WCLC and spoke about the implementation of biomarkers (CEA, for example) to manage nodule workup when detected in LDCT. He further added that he and his colleagues aim to reduce the rate of unnecessary invasive procedures, but in so doing to be proactive in cases where there is a high-suspected chance of lung cancer; his research was published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Prof. Peled highlights that the expected survival of lung cancer is higher than 70% if detected in the early stages, and added at IASLC’s CT Screening Workshop, “Efficient screening may save thousands of lives and must be implemented around the globe”. He emphasizes that defining populations at high risk of developing lung cancer and discovering non-invasive biomarkers of early detection could be of significant benefit. Prof. Peled is Head of Thoracic Cancer Research & Detection Affiliated to Tel Aviv University, Tel Hashomer. A senior pulmonologist and lung cancer specialist at Herzliya Medical Center, Prof. Peled focuses on providing his patients a personalized medicine approach with the use of novel technologies. Prospective patients can read his interview regarding personalized medicine and its use in lung cancer treatment, as well as an interview regarding lung disease, focusing on asthma and lung cancer. Advanced early screening methods such as molecular testing and genetic analysis could provide a cost-effective solution, particularly within populations of high risk.

In addition to his extensive breadth of expertise in lung cancer, Prof. Peled plays a central role in research and development of medical devices and drugs, such as the NaNose (breath test for early detection of lung cancer) and Zykadia (ceritinib) – drug treatment for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer among an array of his medical accomplishments.

Advocate for your health, Herzliya Medical Center (HMC) provides early screening and detection of lung cancer backed by expert specialists, such as Professor Nir Peled among other leading and collaborating specialists. Professor Peled has developed a personalized treatment plan for patients with lung cancer, including those in the advanced stages. Patients are guaranteed an optimized treatment plan tailored to their needs (and type of lung cancer), which aims to improve and prolong a patient’s life for their long-term benefit. Should you or any of your relatives require advice for undergoing lung cancer screening and/ or unique tailored lung cancer treatment at HMC by Professor Peled, then please do contact us today!