Volunteers Sought for Study in Detecting Lung Cancer

Monday, October 14, 2002

ROCHESTER, MINN. - Mayo Clinic's Pulmonary Clinical Research Center is seeking male and female volunteers ages 55-74 who are current or former heavy smokers, have never had lung cancer and are not being treated for any type of cancer. The purpose of the study is to compare two ways of detecting lung cancer: standard chest X-ray and spiral computed tomography (CT) scan. While neither has been shown to reduce a person's chance of dying from lung cancer, the study will attempt to show if either test is better at reducing deaths from this disease.

Lung cancer, which is most frequently caused by cigarette smoking, is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Every year, more than 169,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with lung cancer, and more than 154,000 people die from this disease. Quitting smoking reduces the risk of lung cancer, but half of all lung cancers occur in former smokers.

All participants will receive a lung cancer screening exam. Participants will be randomized (like the flip of a coin) to receive either a spiral CT scan or a chest X-ray. Whichever screening exam is performed will be repeated at one year and again two years later. Researchers will contact participants by phone at least once a year until 2009 to monitor their health. During the study, if participants want to quit smoking, they will be referred to smoking cessation resources. Participants do not have to quit smoking to take part in the study. Those interested in participating in the study should contact Mayo Clinic's Pulmonary Clinical Research Center study line at 507-266-1190 or toll-free at 888-885-7503.

Contact:
Richard D. Hurt, Jr.
507-284-5005(days)
507-284-2511 (evenings)
e-mail: newsbureau@mayo.edu

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