Heavy smokers and ex-smokers from north Dublin over 50 years of age are being asked to volunteer for a lung-cancer screening programme at Beaumont Hospital which could save lives.
Places on the programme - the first of its kind in the country - are limited to 500. "Lung cancer must be caught early," consultant radiologist Dr Mark Logan, the programme's principal investigator said. "Studies conducted abroad suggest that low-dose CT (computerised tomography) scanning can do this, saving many lives."
Volunteers will receive a CT scan and the results will be studied for lung problems, said the programme's co-ordinator, Ms Claire Foley.
While there is always some risk with radiation, said Ms Foley, the amount to be administered is very low, "equivalent to a single X-ray study of the lower back or 150 days' exposure to normal background radiation".
Large-scale screening is now possible because of the availability of low-dose CT scanning, which can show lung cancer in patients before it is too late for treatment.
It also allows the lung to be examined with much better detail than a standard chest X-ray. "The risk of radiation no longer outweighs the potential benefits that can be gained by finding early cancer," said Ms Foley.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the Republic, killing 1,400 people each year. Doctors hope to secure funding to screen 5,000 patients if the pilot programme is a success.
Ms Claire Foley may be contacted at 01-8093783.