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Canadian early detection study needs smokers !!!!!!


RandyW

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Smokers needed for lung study

(Sep 18, 2008)

Hamilton's Juravinski Cancer Centre is one of seven centres participating in a national lung cancer detection study involving 2,500 current and former smokers from across Canada.

The Hamilton data will be an important part of the study because the city's smoking rate is slightly higher than the provincial average.

Dr. John Goffin, the local principal investigator in the study, says organizers hope for 400 participants from Hamilton over the next two years for the $6.5 million project.

The study, launched yesterday, is considered important because early detection and treatment of lung cancer is seen as the best way to reduce lung cancer deaths.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in Canada and around the world, killing 20,000 in Canada and 1.2 million worldwide each year.

By 2020, it is projected that lung cancer will be the fifth highest killer among all diseases.

Testing for the study consists of a questionnaire, blood and breathing tests, a low-dose CT scan and for half the participants, a diagnostic procedure that allows a look in a person's airway that may reveal precancerous abnormalities in lung tissue.

Only the first half will have the diagnostic procedure because of resource limitations.

The questionnaire will gather data on family history of lung cancer, body weight and other factors that may indicate a predisposition to the disease.

The goal is to study a group of people at high-risk for lung cancer and see which of the diagnostic tools and what combination of the them may be most helpful in detecting lung cancer while it is still in a curable stage.

"We know that most people, by the time they are diagnosed, are not candidates for surgery and their chance of cure is small," said Goffin.

He says there is currently no way to detect lung cancer early that is proven to save lives.

The Terry Fox Research Institute and the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer announced the study.

Other study sites include Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, Quebec City and Halifax.

The study is looking for current or former smokers between the 50 and 75 who smoked for at least 20 years.

Those interested in participating can call the study registration line at 1-866-966-LUNG (5864).

ddavy@thespec.com

905-526-3317

rdelazzer@thespec.com

905-526-3404

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