Lung cancer signatures in blood

U.S. researchers have profiled and compared the proteomes of multiple mouse models to identify plasma protein signatures that could aid the discovery of lung cancer biomarkers.¹ Key questions include whether the blood biomarkers could be used for initial screening of patients or whether they will be better suited as a noninvasive follow-up test to complement imaging-based diagnostic approaches.

The 5-year survival rate for U.S. lung cancer patients with localized disease is about 53% compared with 24% and 4% for those diagnosed with regional and distant disease, respectively.² Despite the clear importance of catching the disease as early as possible, there are no validated blood-based biomarkers that are sufficiently sensitive and specific to detect early stage lung cancer.³...