Playing with fire

It is widely acknowledged that smoking is a dangerous vice that is prevalent across our society. This is further demonstrated by the collective silence against young people starting to smoke. Nicotine dependence is a very dangerous addiction that kills 100,000 - 140,000 people each year, approximately 300 - 400 daily. Smoking greatly harms the body and there is no organ of the body that is not affected. The risks of lung disease, cancer and/or heart and vascular illness increase greatly with a habitual smoking habit.

Smoking is the number one cause, in almost all cases of lung cancer (bronchial carcinoma). Compared to smoking, all other risk factors play a significantly reduced role in the development of the disease. Bronchial carcinoma or lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in Germany, claiming nearly 54,000 people each year.

The A to Z of recovery: early detection and care

Recovery from lung cancer remains low. If a carcinoma is detected in the very early stages of the diseases' development, the likelihood is between 70 - 80% that the patient will live 5 years after the initial diagnosis. In such cases, the cancerous growth or tumor can be surgically removed and the patient can make a complete recovery. Early detection is the most certain way of ensuring greater chances for a full recovery.

The traditional x-ray methods of the lungs and bronchial passages are no longer sufficient to guaranteeing the early detection of carcinomas. Most tumours that are detectable through these methods are already so large that recovery from the disease is highly unlikely. The only proven method for the early detection of lung cancer has been the oncology CT (onco-CT) and, in our practice, using this method, we are able to identify cancerous lung cells in their very, very early stages of development. For habitual smokers, a yearly oncology CT for lung cancer is essential! Ex-smokers who had up to 10 'pack years'* should, up to 10 years after quitting, have regular, routine examinations for the early detection of lung disease.

* Pack years are calculated based on # of Packs/Day x # Years. For 10 ?pack years?, a smoker will have smoked, for 10 years, 1 pack a day or for 5 years, 2 packs a day, etc.