Diagnosis and treatment of early-stage bronchial cancer: current status

• Published in: Revue médicale de Bruxelles Vol. 18; no. 5; p. 347
• Main Authors: Vermylen, P, Berghmans, T, Roufosse, C, Pierard, P, Ninane, V, Sculier, J P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: French
• Published: Belgium 01-10-1997
• Subjects: Adolescent; Belgium - epidemiology; Bronchial Neoplasms - diagnosis; Bronchial Neoplasms - therapy; Bronchoscopy; Carcinoma in Situ - diagnosis; Carcinoma in Situ - therapy; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; Chemoprevention; Endoscopy; Female; Humans; Lung Neoplasms - diagnosis; Lung Neoplasms - mortality; Lung Neoplasms - therapy; Male; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Staging; Photochemotherapy; Precancerous Conditions - diagnosis; Precancerous Conditions - therapy; Risk Factors; Smoking - epidemiology; Smoking Cessation; Belgium
• ISSN: 0035-3639

Lung cancer is the cancer with the largest mortality in Belgium. Nowadays, the most potent risk factor for lung cancer, tobacco smoking, is increasing, principally in teenagers. It is therefore necessary to intervene more efficiently in the natural history of the disease. This aim can be achieve by the early detection and the local treatment of small size lung cancer and in situ carcinoma. Interestingly, pulmonary preneoplastic lung lesions have been identified and characterized in the central airways as well as in the peripheral lung parenchyma. These preneoplastic lesions can evolve to invasive cancer or regress after tobacco smoking cessation or chemoprevention treatment. A new autofluorescence based endoscopy technique is described, that allows to detect preneoplastic pulmonary lesions and radio-occult lung cancer. These small sized lesions can be cured with endoscopic local treatment such as photodynamic therapy.