Lung cancer is associated with very high mortality, in part because it is hard to detect at early stages, but also because it can recur frequently after surgical removal. The question arises as to what is the best way to follow lung cancer patients after surgery in order to spot problems early enough, before symptoms become obvious, so that patients may still be eligible for new interventions. In this study presented at the 93rd AATS Annual Meeting, investigators from the University of Toronto departments of Thoracic Surgery and Diagnostic Radiology show that minimal dose computed tomography (MnDCT) of the thorax offers much greater sensitivity at detecting new or recurrent lung cancer, with equivalent amount of radiation, compared to conventional chest X-rays.

Navidea Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of precision diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals, announced the U.S. launch of Lymphoseek (technetium Tc 99m tilmanocept) Injection for use in lymphatic mapping procedures that are performed to help in the diagnostic evaluation of potential cancer spread for patients with breast cancer and melanoma.  Lymphoseek was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in March 2013.