According to a new study, a diagnostic blood test may help detect early-stage lung cancer in asymptomatic patients.
Lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer death, is typically diagnosed late in the progression when the survival rate is extremely low. The current method for detecting early lung cancer lesions, low-dose spiral CT imaging, is not feasible as a widespread screening test for the general population due to the high cost and radiation hazard of repeated screenings.
The study demonstrates the feasibility of using a drop of blood to detect lung cancer in asymptomatic patients. It demonstrates the potential for developing a sensitive screening tool for early-stage lung cancer detection.
The predictive model they developed can identify which people are at risk of lung cancer. Individuals with suspicious findings would then be referred for additional evaluation using imaging tests, such as low-dose CT, to determine a definitive diagnosis.
Researchers developed a lung cancer predictive model based on metabolomics profiles in blood. They used high-resolution magnetic resonance spectroscopy to examine metabolomics profiles in blood. This tool can examine an array of compounds within living cells by measuring the collective reactions of metabolites.
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