Longevity science

While the overall lung cancer five-year survival rate in the U.S. is 15 percent, the odds of survival increase significantly with early detection. However, the expense or invasiveness of current screening methods and the lack of symptoms at early stages of the disease means most people aren’t diagnosed until the cancer is well advanced.

Findings by researchers at the University of York could pave the way for a simple blood test that would detect the disease even in its early stages.

Some two-thirds of cancer are caused by lifestyle choices, says Otis Brawley, chief medical offer of the American Cancer Society.

But routine screening, which causes over-diagnosing, is not the answer.

Medical records that patients can access online may encourage more people to get recommended screening tests and immunizations, a new study suggests.

In a clinical trial at eight primary care practices, researchers found that patients who used such "interactive" health records were more likely to become up-to-date on recommended preventive care.

That included screening tests for breast, colon and cervical cancers, and immunizations like the yearly flu shot