Dr. Wender Quoted in Story About New Guidelines for Lung Cancer Screening
According to new guidelines released by the American Cancer Society, older adults who are current or former heavy smokers should get screened for lung cancer after a thorough discussion of the benefits, limitations and risks. In addition, if the patient can be screened in a setting that has experience in lung cancer screening.
In an interview with the Associated Press, Dr. Richard Wender, chair of the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Jefferson, explains, "We're trying to make sure we restrict harm that might come from screening," such as unneeded biopsies and follow-up procedures when scans falsely suggest cancer. Adding that lung cancer is fairly rare before age 55, so "the benefits of screening are going to be less if you start at a younger age."
Read "Older heavy smokers should get scanned for lung cancer, says American Cancer Society" for more information.
Publication: Associated Press
Published: 1/14/2013