A Canadian study of more than 1,000 high-risk smokers showed that non-invasive, low-dose computed tomography (CT) scanning detects early stage cancer before symptoms appear. A team of radiologists at Princess Margaret Hospital enrolled smokers who were 55 years and older who had smoked at least a pack of cigarettes a day for 10 years but who did not display symptoms of lung cancer. The scans showed that 26 percent of the participants needed further testing Low-dose scanning takes only 30 seconds and shows several hundred cross-section images of the lungs from top to bottom It is often too late to save lives by the time people become aware of lung cancer symptoms which is why early detection is so important, the authors noted. The study was published in an October 2007 issue of the Canadian Association of Radiologists Journal.
Symptoms of cancer that has spread to the spine or bones may include :
- Bone pain.
- Weakness or numbness of the arms or legs.
- Back pain.
Symptoms of cancer that has spread to the brain may include :
- Seizures.
- Headaches.
- Change in alertness.
- Vision changes.
- Nausea or vomiting.
Symptoms of cancer that has spread to the liver or lymph nodes may include :
- Yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice).
- Lumps or bumps under the skin or enlarged lymph nodes.
- Decreased appetite.
- Weight loss.
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