Researcher looking for at-risk volunteers for lung cancer study
A University of Queensland researcher is looking for volunteers who may have been exposed to asbestos in order to further a study learning more about how to detect lung cancer early.
The study is funded by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), which has already treated cancers in 250 screened participants, according to the university website. It is also partially funded by grants from the National Center for Asbestos Related Diseases.
Researchers are looking for volunteers who are between 60 and 74 years old, who may have had been exposed to asbestos, which can lead to the development of lung cancer, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
"Symptoms can be very vague and often develop in the late stages of the disease, which is why lung cancer can be so difficult to detect," said Dr. Henry Marshall, a UQ Ph.D. candidate. "We hope to detect the cancer while it is still in the early stages, giving people the best chance of early diagnosis and cure."
The study is using low dose radiation computerised tomography (CT scans) to look for small cancerous tumors, which have not cause symtpoms, and are not readily detected by X-rays.
The low-dose used reduces radiation exposure when compared to normal CT scans, according to the news source.
Findings from the UQ study will be compared with American and European research studies to understand the effects of lung cancer screening in the Australian health system.
Every year, according to UQ, an estimated 9,000 Australians are diagnosed with lung cancer and 7,500 people die. The WHO reports that approximately 107,000 people around the world die every year from asbestos-related cancers.
It is very difficult for doctors to diagnose asbestos-related diseases, since they often lay dormant and do not show symptoms for up to decades later, according to the WHO.
Dr. Marshall is one of 136 researchers who was awarded grant funding from the NHMRC. The UQ study is being lead by Drs. Kwun Fong, Rayleen Bowman and radiologists Drs. Richard Slaughter, Melaine Fuentes and Jan Crossin, according to the university.
Australia banned using and importing asbestos on December 31, 2003, according to the National Occupational Health and Safety Commission (NOHSC). The ban, however, does not cover asbestos materials or products already in use at the time of the ban. The NOHSC revised asbestos-related material to promote a regulated approach to controlling exposure to the mineral in the workplace, along with introducing best-practice health and safety measures.
Asbestos is a set of naturally occurring silicate minerals that were commonly used in building materials up until the 1970s, due to its fire resistant and insulating properties. However, the mineral is comprised of long, thin, fibrous crystals that, when inhaled, can prove to be deadly.
Most asbestos fibers are virtually invisible to the naked human eye, according to WHO, and as the fibers get smaller and tighter, the easier it is for the fibers to become airborne. Once airborne, the fibers can settle almost anywhere, but can often be disturbed and spread by air gusts or simple movements.
Exposure to airborne asbestos fibers can lead to the development of asbestosis, a type of pneumoconiosis, mesothelioma and lung cancer, according to the WHO. People who usually are exposed to the mineral for long periods of time, often are exposed to it on a day-to-day basis on a job, where they work directly with the mineral. People who smoke and have been exposed to asbestos have an increased risk of lung cancer development, according to the WHO.