Antwerp (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – University Hospital Antwerp, together with the University of Antwerp, begin early lung cancer detection through their pilot program. Online survey invitations will go out to Mortsel and Edegem along with Boechout and Kontich, Lint, and Hove residents who are between 55 and 74 years old.
The University Hospital Antwerp (UZA) and the University of Antwerp initiate a new program to find a cure for lung cancer early stages among high-risk population groups. Local residents between 55 and 74 from Mortsel and other Antwerp communities Edegem, Boechout, Kontich and Lint and Hove, will get invitations for online questionnaire surveys to evaluate their risk elements. The clinical entities will supply no-cost CT scanning procedures using low-radiation technology to detect tumours in participants at risk.
Screening focuses on heavy smokers and patients with chronic bronchitis from the ZORA primary care zone who are ages between 55 and 74. Participants respond to an online questionnaire where they describe their smoking activity together with information about other dangers. The specialised formula evaluates participant risk factors to determine if additional testing should be given.
By the time people get symptoms such as difficulty breathing or coughing up blood, the tumor is already very large or has metastasized. Then recovery is no longer possible. If you detect lung cancer early, people actually have a good prognosis,
says doctor Annemiek Snoeckx, who is leading the research.
Then a formula determines the chance of lung cancer.
It’s not about smoking occasionally at a party, only really heavy smokers are at risk enough for an examination,
Snoeckx explains.
People at high risk can book an appointment for a scan right after the questionnaire.
People still think that lung cancer is the fault of a smoker. They are therefore also reluctant to have early research paid for by society,
says Snoeckx.
Early detection costs society less money than expensive treatment,
says the researcher.
Furthermore, lung cancer is an addictive disease and should be treated as such.
Most participants in prevention research are ex-smokers. People who overcome their addiction have every right to grow old without cancer,
the radiologist concludes.
Why is early detection of Lung cancer crucial in Belgium?
Lung cancer stands as the most lethal cancer form within Belgium since it claims 20% of all cancer fatalities along with reporting 8,000 new cases yearly. Research shows minimal success rates in survival after five years because most patients present their conditions too late in advanced stages where treatments prove ineffective.
The primary reason for lung cancer development is smoking behaviour, which produces 85% of all lung cancer cases, while other contributors, such as chronic bronchitis and air pollution, play additional roles. Widespread lung cancer screening has failed to take hold in Belgium even though they perform effective cancer screenings for other types yet the United States and the Netherlands achieved survival rate improvements of up to 25% through their early detection initiatives.
The UZA-led pilot under new leadership focuses on high-risk populations within six designated municipalities while striving to accomplish these accomplishments. This initiative tackles social prejudice because society mistakenly views lung cancer as solely affecting smokers, which prevents them from giving support to preventive strategies.
