About 400,000 Dutch people between the ages of 60 and 79 will receive an invitation in the coming months to participate in a study into the early detection of lung cancer. It concerns a study in the Netherlands and four other European countries, coordinated by Erasmus MC in Rotterdam.
“Of course I knew that hospitals were busy putting together such a trial. That the Health Council is now giving permission for this is great news,” Franke responds. “That really brings a long-term population screening closer.”
The people who will soon be invited live in three regions. The first region where the research will start is Amsterdam, around the Antoni van Leeuwenhoek hospital, which specializes in cancer. The study is intended for people who have smoked for a long time or who have smoked in the past.
The three regions are located in the west of the Netherlands. According to Franke, it should not be a problem that other parts of the country are ‘out of the loop’ for the time being. “That is not very important for the overall picture of the research. People in Amsterdam get lung cancer just as quickly as in Groningen.”
Early detection of lung cancer in smokers and ex-smokers can reduce mortality from the disease by 25 percent, according to Erasmus MC. “Lung cancer is a silent killer”, Franke knows. “In 80 percent of the cases, you only experience this when it is already too late. That means that it can no longer be cured.”
“With a CT scan it is possible to find lung cancer at an earlier stage, so that you can, for example, undergo an operation or still be treated with medication,” says Franke. A total of 26,000 people are being examined. The scientists use questionnaires to find out who is suitable for participation.
In the Netherlands, about 14,000 people are diagnosed with lung cancer every year. “There is a stigma surrounding this disease. ‘Then you shouldn’t have smoked’ you often hear,” says Franke. “And that’s a real shame. Because it’s not just smokers who get lung cancer.”
“It is true that if you have smoked, you have a greater risk of lung cancer. It is fine that smokers and ex-smokers have been chosen as the target group for this study. This is a start. A definitive population study will come.”