Possible Lung Cancer Detection by Blood Test

According to a new study led by Duke University Medical Center researchers, test for four blood proteins may provide a less-invasive follow-up for patients who have suspicious lesions on chest radiographs or computerized tomography (CT) scans.

Said Edward Patz, Jr., M.D., a radiologist at Duke and lead investigator on the study:

“CT scans have a very high false positive rate when trying to discover lung cancer. What that leads to is several follow-up imaging studies or invasive procedures like biopsy, which have risks of their own.

This study is the first step in developing a test that would allow us to sample a patient’s blood and determine whether more invasive testing and treatment are necessary.

Using the four markers, known as CEA, RBP, SCC and AAT, we were able to distinguish patients who had cancer from those who didn’t with over 80 percent accuracy.”

The four blood proteins: CEA, RBP, SCC and AAT – have been found in significantly different levels in patients with lung cancer as compared to patients of the same age and gender who didn’t have cancer.

Find more details from Duke University Medical Center.