Simultaneous screening for head and neck, lung cancers may improve early detection, survival

the Oncology Nurse Advisor take:

According to a new analysis published in the journal Cancer, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, have found that screening patients for head and neck cancer and lung cancer could improve early detection and survival.

The multidisciplinary team analyzed data from 3,587 patients from the Pittsburgh Lung Screening Study (PLuSS) to investigate whether those patients, which included both current and ex-smokers, had a higher risk of developing head and neck cancer.

Results showed that the rate of head and neck cancer among the PLuSS participants was 71.4 cases annually per 100,000 people compared with the expected 43 cases annually per 100,000 in the general U.S. population.

Because head and neck cancer is rare in comparison to the most common cancer types, the researchers note that it would be impractical to screen the general population for the disease, but patients at risk for lung cancer that would be referred for lung cancer screening would most likely benefit from head and neck cancer screenings as well.

The researchers are now designing a national study to assess the effect of simultaneous lung and head and neck cancer screening on mortality.