Scientists Are Getting Closer to a Blood Test for Lung Cancer
Researchers are making progress toward a blood test for lung cancer that could identify at-risk individuals beyond current screening guidelines. A study found that tracking 13 proteins in the blood could detect 85% of lung cancers in smokers, significantly higher than the 63% detection rate of existing methods. While the test is not yet ready for commercial use, it shows promise for expanding screening to include nonsmokers and those currently ineligible for lung cancer screening.
- ▪Current lung cancer screening primarily targets smokers, leaving many at risk untested.
- ▪A new study indicates that a blood test could significantly improve detection rates for lung cancer.
- ▪The researchers aim to develop the blood test further to include nonsmokers in future screenings.
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Screening for breast, colon, and prostate cancers has led to a reduction in deaths from those diseases over the years. But lung cancer screening has not been as successful. That's because current screening recommendations focus on a single risk factor—a person's history of smoking—and it's becoming clear that there are other factors, from genetic changes to environmental exposures, that can also affect risk. That means screening guidelines leave out a lot of vulnerable people: as many as 65% of people who get lung cancer are not eligible for screening, and 10-20% of people who get lung cancer have never smoked.Scientists have been exploring better ways to identify people who might be at risk of developing lung cancer.
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