Lung Imaging

How Vivid Images are Reducing Lung Cancer Deaths

Dr. Brett Elicker discusses tools for lung cancer screenings that are helping reduce deaths from the disease. Elicker is an Associate Professor of Clinical Radiology and Chief of the Cardiac and Pulmonary Imaging Section at the University of California, San Francisco. Recorded on 10/13/2015. Series: "UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Medicine presents Mini Medical School for the Public".

Lung Cancer Screening Program

Low-dose CT scans have the potential to find disease early and with early detection it can be approximately 80% curable so you may benefit from lung cancer screening if you are a current or former heavy smoker and between the ages of 55 and 77.

UCSF is recognized as leading center for diagnosing and treating lung cancer. We have a team with experienced subspecialists including pulmonologists, thoracic radiologists, thoracic surgeon, and oncologists. 

Is there a good vs. bad type of lung cancer?

UCSF Radiologist Dr Brett Elicker describes the different kind of lung cancer, from the slow growing relatively benign tumor to the more aggressive one.
 
Different lung cancers
  • Common lung cancer adenocarcinoma, round thing is very white. The denser it is the whiter it is.
    • Dense
    • Strongly associated with smoking
    • Rapid growth rate
    • Poor prognosis

What do studies tell us about screening vs. non-screening?

UCSF Radiologist Dr. Brett Elicker explains the truth about lung cancer screening.
 

International ELCAP NEJM 2006

What does staging tell us?

UCSF Radiologist Dr. Brett Elicker explains the lung cancer staging system and why it is important to catch patients in the early stages.
 

Is screening for lung cancer valuable?

Lung cancer statistics
  • 213,000 new cases/year
  • 160,000 deaths/year
  • More deaths than breast, prostate, colon, ovarian cancer combined
  • $9.6 billion/year for treatment

How bad is diagnosis of lung cancer (5 year survival)?