Lung Cancer

If lung cancer is found at a very early stage is it possible to "cure" it or at least control it in some way?  Can you suggest what high risk patients (smokers; people exposed to radon or asbestos; family history, etc.) can do to increase their survival chances, should they develop lung disorders?  Are there tests that can be run annually similar to mamograms?  

Thank you for your help!

Michael

[David S. Wilson, MD, FCCP]

Your question gets at Lung Cancer Screening which is not presently recommended by any organization.  Studies of limited Chest CT scans (CAT scans) show promise but also identify many abnormalities that end up with biopsies that show non-cancerous disease.  This increases risk and expense and hence CT's are controversial to screen for Lung Cancer.  Ultimately there will likely be high risk groups that are recommended for Chest CT at some interval.  Lung cancer when diagnosed at an early stage (one or two) is very curable with surgical removal.  Identifying other lung disorders from the exposures you identified can usually occur with pulmonary function tests.