Prevent Cancer Foundation efforts successful in gaining Federal Government support of Lung Cancer Screening

USPSTF to recommend screening people who are at high risk for lung cancer with annual low-dose CT scans.

ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 29, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Prevent Cancer Foundation has been heavily involved in advocacy coalition efforts to get the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) to recommend screening people who are at high risk for lung cancer with high-quality annual low-dose CT scans. Implementing this screening according to guidelines can prevent a substantial number of lung cancer-related deaths. Lung cancer screening now joins three other screening procedures, breast, colorectal and cervical, which Prevent Cancer has worked diligently to promote over the years.

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"It is a tribute to all Americans that we were among the first in the world to support a rigorous National Cancer Institute study validating the value of CT screening. Now the USPSTF is moving forward to recommend this tool in our battle against this most lethal of cancers. The task in front of us is to work together to ensure this screening service is provided in a safe, economical and effective fashion across the country," said James L. Mulshine, M.D., Scientific Director and Vice-Chairman of the Prevent Cancer Foundation board of directors. The USPSTF recommendation paves the way for Medicare coverage for CT scans for people at high risk for lung cancer. Private insurers very frequently cover a procedure such as a CT scan once Medicare has decided to pay for it. These decisions mean that a significant number of high risk individuals will have access to this procedure under the preventive services provisions of the Affordable Care Act.

The Prevent Cancer Foundation has been a leading voice in advocating for spiral CT screening for those at high risk for many years and has actively provided a venue through the 10 annual Lung Cancer Workshops hosted by Prevent Cancer with the support of the Optical Society of America and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer to bring together oncologists, radiologists, representatives of federal agencies, advocates, and the pharmaceutical and diagnostic imaging industries to explore the use of spiral CT scanning as a tool for evaluating response to new therapies more rapidly and accurately. The Prevent Cancer Foundation applauds its coalition partners, particularly the Lung Cancer Alliance, for joining in this effort to save lives through evidence-based preventive screening.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for both men and women with more than 226,000 people diagnosed annually. Ultimately nearly 90% of these people will die of this disease because it is diagnosed too late to be treatable. Screening individuals at high risk for lung cancer can detect cancers at an early, more likely treatable stage.  These cancers must be also subjected to high-quality surgical and other treatment procedures.  Smoking is the biggest risk factor for developing lung cancer and accounts for almost 85 percent of these cancers in the United States. Older individuals are at increased risk.

About the Prevent Cancer Foundation

The mission of the Prevent Cancer Foundation is to save lives through cancer prevention and early detection. Founded in 1985, the Foundation has provided more than $130 million in support of cancer prevention and early detection research, education, advocacy and community outreach nationwide. For more information, please visit www.preventcancer.org.

CONTACT:
Jim Wood, 703-837-3692 jim.wood@preventcancer.org

SOURCE Prevent Cancer Foundation