A Groundbreaking Step in Fighting the Nation's Top Killers: Heart Disease and Lung Cancer

NEW YORK, Sept. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Society for Heart Attack Prevention and Eradication (SHAPE) and the International Early Lung Cancer Action Program (I-ELCAP) are proud to announce the inaugural conference on integrating heart and lung screening using low-dose computed tomography (CT). This pioneering event will take place on September 19-21, 2024, bringing together leading experts to address the critical intersection of heart disease and lung cancer, the first and second leading causes of death in the United States. This pioneering conference will be held in conjunction with the 46th International Conference on Screening for Lung Cancer and the 14th Conference on Early Lung Cancer Research on Treatment (IELCART).

The conference agenda features discussions from top researchers, clinicians, and healthcare innovators who aim to revolutionize early detection of high-risk asymptomatic patients by combining heart and lung screenings into a widely available single low-dose CT exam. This approach holds the potential to save countless lives by identifying individuals at risk of preventable death, i.e. before heart attacks or advanced-stage lung cancer take hold.

"I-ELCAP pioneered screening for lung cancer over 30 years ago and ever since our group has proudly saved countless lives from late-stage fatal lung cancer," said Dr. Claudia Henschke, I-ELCAP founder, and Professor of Radiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. "Now in collaboration with SHAPE, we're aiming to reduce preventable death both from heart attacks and lung cancer," she added.

"Both heart disease and lung cancer are silent killers that often progress without symptoms until it's too late," said Dr. Morteza Naghavi, founder of SHAPE and president of HeartLung.AI. "This conference is a pioneering step toward transforming preventive care for the number 1 and 2 causes of death in most countries," Dr. Naghavi added.

Approximately 238,340 people were diagnosed with lung cancer in 2023 in the U.S. and about 127,070 American lives were lost to lung cancer in 2023. The overall 5-year survival rate for lung cancer is about 25% and is mainly due to diagnosis in late stages, whereas the 5-year survival rate for lung cancer screening population is over 90%.

Approximately 82.6 million people in the United States currently have one or more forms of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Globally, cardiovascular diseases account for approximately 20 million deaths per year. In the United States, the most recent data shows 702,880 deaths from heart disease per year.

"To address the rising burden of cardiovascular disease and lung cancer, new preventive strategies are needed," said Dr. Robert Harrington, the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medicine who is the conference's keynote speaker. "I'm pleased to take part in this initiative and look forward to its promising impacts on public health in the future."

The conference aims to set the stage for broader implementation of this dual screening methodology than currently recommended in the national guidelines. This could significantly enhance preventive care in at-risk populations. For example, over 20,000 patients diagnosed with lung cancer in the U.S. are non-smokers and therefore do not qualify for low-dose CT screening under current guidelines. By detecting calcification in coronary arteries and identifying early-stage lung cancers simultaneously, this innovative approach addresses the two biggest threats to public health with a single, non-invasive test, a low-dose chest CT scan.

"This is an exciting and creative public health initiative and I'm proud to be a part of it" said Dr. Roxana Mehran, Professor of Interventional Cardiology, Icahn School of Medicine and Director of Women's Health at Mount Sinai. "More women die with cardiovascular disease and lung cancer than all other diseases together. We are committed to changing the status quo for the better" she added.

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death among women, with more than 250,000 women dying annually from coronary heart disease alone. Lung cancer causes about 70,500 deaths annually in women whereas breast cancer results in about 42,000 deaths annually.

"This is a trailblazer event that for the first time brings leaders in preventive cardiology and lung cancer screening under one roof." said Dr. David Yankelevitz, Professor of Radiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. "An exciting part of this conference is the plethora of AI technologies targeting early detection of heart disease and lung cancer" he added.

The conference brings together world's leaders in cardiology and lung cancer, and will begin with opening remarks by Dr. Harrington, followed by a featured lecture by world-renowned cardiologist Dr. Valentin Fuster, the past president of the American Heart Association and the World Heart Federation.

The complete agenda of the conference is available on www.shapesociety.org.

Medical professionals as well as the public can tune in to the conference via Zoom. Due to limited Zoom space, please register in advance: https://mountsinai.zoom.us/webinar/register/5317226279505/WN_WY02c-_aSluoP4bPH81-GA#/registration

About SHAPE

SHAPE is a non-profit organization dedicated to the eradication of heart attacks. Through advocacy and public awareness campaigns, SHAPE advanced coronary artery calcium (CAC) scan into the national guidelines and helped passed HB1290 in Texas that mandates coverage for CAC scans. SHAPE is currently working with Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to secure national coverage for CAC scans targeting early detection and primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. www.shapesociety.org

About I-ELCAP

I-ELCAP is a global initiative committed to early lung cancer detection and has pioneered research and screening programs using low-dose CT screening to reduce deaths from lung cancer. The program works to promote early-stage diagnosis and improve long-term survival rates. www.I-ELCAP.org

Media Contact

Michell Medellin, SHAPE, 1 3105106004, michell.medellin@shapesociety.org, www.vp.org

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SOURCE SHAPE