Experts Offer Tips on Lung Cancer Prevention

Supplements won't help lower risk, and neither will CT scans, guide says.

Monday, September 10, 2007; 12:00 AM

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MONDAY, Sept.10 (HealthDay News) -- People, especially smokers, should not rely on vitamin and mineral supplements to prevent lung cancer, say members of the American College of Chest Physicians in their second annual guide to lung cancer prevention, care and treatment.

The new evidence-based guidelines also include a strong statement opposing the use of low-dose CT scans for the general screening of lung cancer.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States. More people die from lung cancer than from colon, breast, prostate and pancreatic cancer combined.

"Each year, great strides are made in the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer, allowing patients with the disease to live longer and increase the quality of their lives. However, the real culprit behind lung cancer is tobacco," Dr. Mark J. Rosen, president of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), said in a prepared statement. "Avoiding tobacco is the key to preventing most forms of lung cancer. Until we eliminate tobacco use completely, we will continue to deal with its devastating health consequences."

Published as a supplement to the September issue of the college's journal Chest, the guidelines note there is little evidence to show lung cancer screening changes the outcome for patients, including those considered to be at high risk.

"Even in high-risk populations, currently available research data do not show that lung cancer screening alters mortality outcomes," Dr. W. Michael Alberts, chairman of the ACCP lung cancer guidelines, said in a prepared statement. "We hope that, one day, we can find a useful and accurate tool for general lung cancer screening but, at this time, the evidence does not support the use of LDCT screening."

This is the second edition of Diagnosis and Management of Lung Cancer: ACCP Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guidelines. The guide contains 260 recommendations, including a review of complementary and integrative therapy for the prevention and treatment of lung cancer.