CT Scan and Cancer: Promising Development in the Fight Against Lung Cancer; Don't Ask, Don't Tell, What Now?
ROBERTS: Lung cancer kills 160,000 people each and every year. It's the deadliest of all cancers. And doctors say they could do much better with those numbers if they had a better way to detect the disease earlier. Well, the National Cancer Institute has just finished comparing the number of deaths in heavy smokers who were screened with standard chest x-rays against those who were scanned with sophisticated spiral CT scans. The results are compelling. Those who were screened with a spiral CT had a 20 percent lower rate of death. Joining us now live from Washington to discuss this development is Dr. Douglas Lowy. He's the deputy director of the National Cancer Institute. Doctor, these are pretty significant numbers when you look at the statistics. Twenty percent of 160,000 deaths is 32,000 people every year.</s>DR. DOUGLAS LOWY, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE: Yes. But I don't think that we can yet be sure that the screening would be applicable to all of the people who get lung cancer. It's important to remember that the study that was conducted was really in a special group of high-risk people who have been smoking for many, many years. And although smoking occurs predominantly -- lung cancer occurs predominantly among heavy smokers, there are other people who develop lung cancer who have smoked much less.</s>ROBERTS: Right. You know, Dana Reeve being one of them. Could this be applicable, you know, if somebody like Dana Reeve, how do you assess their potential risk? But if somebody who's never smoked can die of lung cancer like she did, should everybody get screened?</s>LOWY: Yes, I think this is an excellent question. And it's the kind of question that's going to be addressed as more information from the trial becomes available. The problem is that there are potential downsides or disadvantages to having the screening, such as exposure to radiation. And there are also a lot of false positives because many of the abnormalities that are picked up turn out not to be cancer and yet they may result in surgery or biopsies that have their own complications. So as we go forward and get more information about the study itself, it will be then easier to try to make determinations. Who is most appropriate for screening, how frequently, and how -- and for how many years.</s>ROBERTS: There's also the issue of expense, as well. These things aren't cheap. And it makes you wonder, would insurance companies be willing to do preventive screenings on people annually?</s>LOWY: Yes. This always is an issue. At the moment, screening CT is not covered by insurance or by Medicare. Diagnostic CT, on the other hand, is, once you have identified an abnormality. It remains to be determined whether insurance companies or Medicare will end up covering it. But clearly as recommendations are made in the future by various groups such as the American Cancer Society, for example --</s>ROBERTS: Right.</s>LOWY: -- my expectation is that there will be coverage.</s>ROBERTS: Now, it's obviously very compelling research and very exciting for some people. One spiral CT advocate, Dr. Claudia Henschke, believes that these scans could be even more effective. The study was done over a period of two years and then the participants in the study were followed for an additional three. She says she believes that if the studies were done over 10 years and done on an annual basis, you could save 80 percent of people who would have otherwise died from lung cancer. Do you -- do you see that sort of promise in this?</s>LOWY: Well, I think that it certainly is possible that if people were continued to be screened as long as they were in a high-risk group that you might see even greater benefit. But the key point about this trial was to ask whether this procedure actually confers benefit by reducing mortality. And the trial itself unequivocally shows that the answer is yes. The trial will not answer all questions and these kinds of issues may actually require further research.</s>ROBERTS: So on a diagnostic level, what is it about spiral CT that is so much better than conventional x-ray?</s>LOWY: Well, that's a great question. What we think is going on is the ability to detect cancer at an earlier and more treatable stage. But the analysis within the trial has not been carried out far enough to actually confirm what we think is the most likely explanation. However, as the analysis is done over the next few months, we will be able to determine what are the real benefits and who benefits most from the CT scans.</s>ROBERTS: Well, we look forward to the results of that analysis. And let's get you back on in a couple of months to talk more about it.</s>LOWY: Well, thanks so much. A pleasure being with you.</s>ROBERTS: Appreciate it. Dr. Douglas Lowy of the National Cancer Institute.</s>CHETRY: Very promising.</s>ROBERTS: Yes. You know, it could be anything, you know, to save people's lives is a good thing. But again, as he said, somebody like Dana Reeve, it was such a shock.</s>CHETRY: I know.</s>ROBERTS: And not long after Chris died, she was diagnosed with lung cancer. Never smoked a day in her life, so how do you know? Well, crossing the half hour now and our top stories this Friday morning. A passenger plane carrying 68 people has crashed in central Cuba. There were no survivors. The AeroCaribbean flight was headed for Havana when it went down last night near the village of Guasimal. Officials in Havana say 28 foreigners from 10 countries were onboard that aircraft.</s>CHETRY: A report says that BP's vast network of pipelines in Alaska get a failing grade for maintenance. At least 148 of BP's pipelines on Alaska's north slope received an F-rating, which means the pipeline walls are 80 percent corroded and could rupture at any time. The company spokesman trying to put a positive spin on the report says it means they have a higher priority repair plan.</s>ROBERTS: And Costco shoppers, listen up. If you've recently bought any, and this is any Dutch-style gouda cheese made by -- here's the manufacturer -- Bravo farms, do not eat the cheese. Return it to the store. Federal health officials say the cheese has been linked to an outbreak of E. coli bacteria. So far, 25 people have gotten sick. The cheese was sold in Costcos in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada and San Diego. We're also finding out this morning that those Costco outlets were offering free samples of the contaminated cheese to its shoppers. So there are lots of folks out there who probably already have been exposed.</s>CHETRY: Well, President Obama pledged to repeal the Pentagon's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy toward gays in the military but so far has not. Now in the wake of the Republican control in Congress, he may have lost the chance and it cost him big time in 2012. Our Chris Lawrence is following that for us live at the Pentagon. How does the hand over of Congress to the GOP leadership now affect "don't ask, don't tell"?</s>CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kiran, it gets the clock ticking. You know, some high-ranking Republicans on the new Congress have already said publicly they don't want to repeal "don't ask, don't tell." You know, some of the troops that I've spoken with, they feel the same way. But this issue means something to a lot of gay and lesbian activists. And now the president's got about four weeks left with this old Congress to get something done for them.</s>LAWRENCE (voice-over): Some of President Obama's strongest supporters remember the leader who twisted arms and pushed hard for financial reform. But say that guy was nowhere to be found on repealing "don't ask, don't tell."</s>BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's time for us to move this policy forward.</s>OMAR LOPEZ, U.S. NAVY VETERAN: I'm truly disappointed because, you know, when he was running and campaigning I was pro-Obama.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This guy.</s>LAWRENCE: Omar Lopez was kicked out of the Navy for being gay.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Keep you promise, Obama.</s>LAWRENCE: He says the president squandered a huge majority in Congress and had his Justice Department fight to keep "don't ask, don't tell" in place after an Appeals Court ruled it unconstitutional.</s>LOPEZ: Now, this is not a Bill Clinton administration law. Now it's turn into his law because he's pushing against it, you know, of lifting it and taking his sweet time. It's already been two years that he's been in office and hasn't taken any - any action.</s>LAWRENCE: The old Congress has one more shot before the new one is seated. And Senator Harry Reid determines what bills get brought up and when. The senators begin the lame duck session November 15th to debate the repeal, pass it and reconcile with the House of Representatives could take three to four weeks. If Reid doesn't bring up the bill until after Thanksgiving, there's likely not enough time. The Pentagon's study on what troops think is due December 1st. So senators might have those results by the time they actually cast their vote. But again, they'll probably go home around the 22nd.</s>ALEX NICHOLSON, SEVICEMEMBERS UNITED: If this bill gets brought up under less than optimal procedural position, that'll be Senator Reid's decision alone. If it gets brought up after Thanksgiving versus before Thanksgiving, that'll be Senator Reid's decision alone. So Senator Reid is a very important player in this.</s>LAWRENCE: "Roll Call's" Ben Roth said what Reid decides now will impact President Obama later. Remember what Omar Lopez said?</s>LOPEZ: Now, this is not a Bill Clinton administration law.</s>LAWRENCE: Gay rights supporters may punish him at the polls.</s>BEN ROTH, "ROLL CALL": I think again, it's going to be harder in 2012 when he's going to be really trying to build up his base. And some will say when you had 59 senators, I mean, you couldn't get this through, and what was the problem? And you waited too long.</s>LAWRENCE: Yes, the key to this four-week session is going to be some of these moderate Republican senators who said they will wait to hear about the Pentagon study before making their decision. Folks like Scott Brown, Olympia Snow. They would have to allow this bill to go forward for now knowing that they would see the results of that study before they actually cast their vote next month. Kiran?</s>CHETRY: We'll have to see what happens. Chris Lawrence for us this morning. Thanks.</s>ROBERTS: Thirty-three minutes after the hour now. And still to come, a mom in Missouri takes to her blog to vent after other mothers disapprove of her little boy's choice to wear a girl's costume on Halloween. Little did she know that thousands and thousands of comments and page views she'd get. She joins us coming up next on AMERICAN MORNING.