DENVER – A panel of serum biomarkers could help predict the level of lung cancer risk in high-risk patients, offering doctors an option before proceeding with a biopsy. Research presented in the April 2012 issue of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer's (IASLC) Journal of Thoracic Oncology shows that a panel of 10 serum protein biomarkers could help in the lung cancer diagnosis. The biomarkers include: prolactin, transthyretin, thrombospondin-1, E-selectin, C-C motif chemokine 5, macrophage migration inhibitory factor, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, receptor tyrosine-protein kinase erbB-2, Cyfra 21.1 and serum amyloid A. Further work is necessary to validate these exciting results.
In June, the National Lung Screening Trial showed that lung cancer deaths fell by 20 percent and all-cause mortality fell by 7 percent when heavy smokers were screened regularly using low-dose spiral computed tomography (CT) compared with standard chest x-ray. The problem is that often these screenings can present false positive results.
According to the study, "about 20 percent of the 1-2 cm nodules that are concerning enough to be considered for biopsy are actually malignant. Given the substantial risks of invasive diagnostic thoracic procedures, unselective biopsy of every person with a small nodule is clinically unacceptable."
The researchers conclude that these biomarkers have potential to aid in the early detection of lung cancer by adding to the information gathered by CT screening. The analysis was carried out from patients enrolled in the Pittsburgh Lung Screening Study, which is funded by the National Cancer Institute Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) in Lung Cancer.
The lead author of this work is Dr. William Bigbee and IASLC member co-authors include Dr. David Wilson, Dr. Jill Siegfried and Dr. Sanja Dacic.
About the IASLC:
The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) is the only global organization dedicated to the study of lung cancer. Founded in 1974, the association's membership includes more than 3,500 lung cancer specialists in 80 countries.
IASLC members promote the study of etiology, epidemiology, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and all other aspects of lung cancer and thoracic malignancies. IASLC disseminates information about lung cancer to scientists, members of the medical community and the public, and uses all available means to eliminate lung cancer as a health threat for the individual patients and throughout the world. Membership is open to any physician, scientist, nurse or allied health professional interested in lung cancer, including patients, survivors, caregivers and advocates.
IASLC publishes the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, a valuable resource for medical specialists and scientists who focus on the detection, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer.
To learn more about IASLC please visit http://iaslc.org/. Like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter @IASLC.
Journal
Journal of Thoracic Oncology