Universal Medical sponsors lung nodule team to help lung cancer patients

Chinese medical image company Universal Medical Imaging sponsored the establishment of a lung nodule multi-disciplinary team in an effort to increase the country's lung nodule management level to benefit more Chinese lung cancer patients.

The lung nodule MDT, launched by the China Anti-Cancer Association, targets early screening and diagnosis of lung cancer, as well as standardized management of lung nodules, and therefore offers better treatment to lung cancer patients.

"The early screening and diagnosis of lung cancer is critical to a patient. The survival rate of phase-1 lung cancer patients within five years is 92 percent, while that of phase-4 lung cancer patients drops to merely 4.2 percent," said Yan Shi, associate chief physician of the Second Thoracic Surgery Department at Beijing Cancer Hospital, who also is an expert from the China Anti-Cancer Association.

"Early-stage lung cancer is often presented with the form of lung nodules. Therefore, having early screening and diagnosis and standardized management on lung nodules is key to lowering the mortality of lung cancer," he said.

"Although the medical imaging manifestation of early lung cancer is lung nodules, lung nodules detected do not necessarily mean lung cancer, many of which are the demonstration of benign lung diseases," said Du Peng, chief physician of the Urinary Surgery Department of Beijing Cancer Hospital, and another expert from the China Anti-Cancer Association.

Yan noted that over 90 percent of lung nodules are not malignant. Blindly removing the nodules brings unnecessary body damage to patients. Nor can patients ignore lung nodules, as chances are they could turn malignant. Therefore, standardized management of lung nodules best benefits patients.

Joining efforts with doctors from various disciplines of national grade-3A hospitals, the newly-launched lung nodule MDT offers precise diagnosis and personalized treatment to patients. The treatment includes clinical group consultation, comprehensive solutions, medication plans, and regular follow-up visits.

"Early-stage lung cancer breaks out secretly, therefore, this type of cancer urgently requires early screening. It is expected that the lung nodule MDT will bring more benefits to patients," Yan said.