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The unhooked.com science section contains selected educational readings from the scientific and popular literature about alcoholism, addiction, and recovery. The views expressed in the articles are those of their authors and not necessarily those of the science pagemaster or the webmaster or of the person who suggested the article to the list. This material is made available solely for the nonprofit educational use of unhooked.com readers as an aid in their personal recovery, and no other use is authorized or intended. Click here for the current Science Section reading list.
[© 1996, Reuters Health eLine]
NEW YORK (Reuters) -- A new test may help detect cancer in smoker's lungs before it gets started.
The test, called LungCheck, uses sputum samples to detect signs of an immune response to lung toxins, and the presence of precancerous and cancerous changes, 3 to 5 years before such changes are evident on an x-ray, according to the manufacturer.
"What is unique about our product is that it involves research that has been done over the last 10 years on the presence of certain cell types in relation to development of lung cancer," said John Ledermann, director of LungCheck, Inc. "Lung cancer can take 10 to 30 years to develop, and during that time certain changes take place in cells in the lung. We have identified the 7 cells as they change or increase during the onset of lung cancer."
The product, which is currently available with a doctor's prescription at a cost of $40 to $110, is being tested as a smoking cessation tool at the Strang Cancer Prevention Center in New York.
"Strang's medical researchers believe that LungCheck may not only be an important medical advancement for early detection of lung cancer but also may be able to assist people who have pulmonary damage to stop smoking," stated associate director, Dr. Mitchell Gaynor, in a release from the Cancer Center.
"What we have found is people who are smoking and who see what they are doing to their lungs -- which is readily apparent in the report we present -- show a significant increase in success in quitting smoking," according to Ledermann.
The test is conducted by having patients cough up samples of sputum into a special container for three days in a row. The container is then mailed to a laboratory in Arizona and a report issued to the physician within 2 days.
Pending approval by the Food and Drug Administration, the test may be available over the counter at an estimated cost of $110 to $115, according to Ledermann.
