A group of organizations and companies have teamed up to help ensure that Florida residents are getting screened for lung cancer more often. Only 15.8 per cent of those eligible in the state bother to get themselves checked out, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
This group is comprised of the Florida Lung Health Coalition, the American Lung Association (ALA), RadNet Inc (NASDAQ: RDNT) and DELFI Diagnostics.
They will be offering patients the option to use the FirstLook Lung blood biopsy test developed by DELFI. Those who use this test and receive an “elevated” result will then be sent to receive a low-dose CT scan for a more comprehensive assessment. The group chose to implement their new screening initiative before Lung Cancer Awareness Month begins in November.
Generally speaking, less than one out of four cases are diagnosed in their early stages. The group won’t be able to solve this problem alone but they can contribute to improving the issue. Grants and sponsorships they provide will fund the initiative.
“Lung cancer is a tremendous burden on individuals, families, and the healthcare system in the United States,” ALA chief executive Harold Wimmer said in a news release. “Thankfully, we are seeing incredible strides in research investigating new treatments for this disease.”
Over the past year, the ALA has invested US$22 million in lung health research. This sum was divided into 139 research grants.
The new screening campaign was formally announced at the HLTH 2024 conference in Las Vegas. This event focuses on healthcare innovation made possible with AI and other emerging medical technologies. It concluded on Wednesday.
At #HLTHUSA 2024, #DELFI CEO, @susantousi, announced a groundbreaking alliance among the Florida Lung Health Coalition, DELFI Diagnostics, @RadNet_Inc, and @LungAssociation to work together to launch a pioneering initiative to transform lung cancer screening and detection in… pic.twitter.com/Ql6hI0xllm
— DELFI Diagnostics (@DELFIDiagnostic) October 22, 2024
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Texas completes extensive lung health initiative
Another American state has been taking action to make lung cancer screening readily available to low-income, uninsured citizens while helping older people quit smoking.
This recently completed educational and screening campaign was led by the University of Texas at Austin’s Dell Medical School.
“Our focus was not just on increasing lung cancer screenings but on ensuring that those most at risk, particularly those with financial or language barriers, could access care,” medical professional and professor, Brandon Altillo, said Thursday.
The institution says 49 per cent of the program’s participants who smoke agreed to engage with counselling to kick their habit and 31 per cent were able to quit cold turkey. More than 700 smokers age 55 to 77 participated in the the three-year program.
The school also explained that about 83 per cent of patients who agreed to be screened were willing to complete a low-dose CT scan.
Although blood biopsies and CT scans have proven their worth, less invasive testing methods have been emerging too.
A recent Israeli study published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine discussed the benefits of detecting the disease in urine samples through the use of biosensor technology. Identifying volatile organic compounds that get emitted by cancer cells makes this possible.
Another notable technology developed by the American company Breath Diagnostics Inc. can diagnose lung cancer by identifying these compounds through the use of a breath test. This method offers a minimally invasive, radiation-free alternative to tissue biopsies, CT scans and blood biopsies.
About 125,000 Americans are expected to die from the disease this year.
rowan@mugglehead.com
