Early warning for lung cancer in the works

A simple blood test may identify the presence of the disease before outward symptoms become apparent. New research from The University of Nottingham has pinpointed a potential early warning system for lung cancer.

The study, published in the journal, Thorax, found that changes in the blood can be detected which signal the presence of lung cancer, and that these changes can be present years before outward symptoms become apparent. Early diagnosis means earlier treatment which is much more likely to be effective.

Worldwide, lung cancer kills around 900,000 people every year, and that can take 20 years or more to develop fully. But it is usually only picked up at an advanced stage, when the chances of successful treatment are slim.

As yet, there is no effective early warning system to detect the disease in its early treatable stages, and the dismal long-term prospects of patients with lung cancer have changed little in the past 30 years.

The research team at Nottingham, in collaboration with a team at Johannes Gutenberg University in Germany, analysed blood (plasma) samples from 50 healthy volunteers and 104 people with different types of lung cancer.

They tested for autoantibodies immune system proteins directed at the body's own tissues, in response to specific chemical signals in the body. They looked in particular for a panel of seven autoantibodies, which are associated with 'solid tumous,' such a lung, breast, ovarian, and prostate cancers and triggered when cancerous changes are taking place.

They found the presence of all seven autoantibodies, and very high levels of at least 1 of the 7 autoantibodies in almost 8 out of 10 samples taken from patients with confirmed lung cancer.

And they were found in 8 out of the 9 patients whose cancer had not infiltrated the lymph nodes, the body's 'gate keepers'. This indicates that the disease had not yet spread elsewhere and offers an 80% chance of a cure.

Only one healthy volunteer had more than 1 of these autoantibodies in their blood.

Other research has indicated that these autoantibodies can be picked up as early as 5 years before clinical symptoms start to show.

This study is one of a number of studies looking at autoantibodies in cancer.

The authors argue that the lungs are especially sensitive to radiation, so repeated chest x-rays are not ideal for picking up lung cancer. A blood test, on the other hand, is cheap relative to imaging tests, with no side effects, and the panel can be optimised to identify more or different autoantibodies in lung and other cancers.

They suggest that the blood test could be used for people at increased risk of developing the disease, such as smokers and passive smokers. If the test was positive, they could then be referred for more detailed scans, such as computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Other ways to get lung cancer

It's a strange fact: All smokers don't get lung cancer. And not all lung patients are smokers.

According to a news release from the American Cancer Society,..."Lung cancer does occur in people who have never smoked, even though cigarette smoking is by far the biggest risk factor for lung cancer in the US., causing an estimated 80% of lung cancers in women and 90% in men. Known risk factors that may affect never-smokers include exposure to second hand smoke and radon, as well as occupational exposure to asbestos and certain chemicals and metals. Genetic susceptibility is thought to play a greater role in people who develop lung cancer at an early age. Fewer than 3% of lung cancers occur in people under the age of 45."