Article
CTCs as First-Line to Screen for Lung Cancer?
Research published by a team of Italian scientists in the Journal of the National Institute of Cancer shows that a 13-gene panel blood test for microRNAs could be a cost-effective screening tool for lung cancer, compared with low-dose CT, which is expensive.
The use of low-dose CT (LDCT) as a screening tool for lung cancer has been criticized for its high cost and its feasibility, given the large number of long-time heavy smokers and ex-smokers and the complexity of the process. What if a less expensive and more easily administered test could refine who is at highest risk for lung cancer, and therefore identify the top candidates for LDCT?
A team of Italian researchers believe they have developed such a tool—an experimental blood test that detects genetic material associated with lung tumors. They suggest that the tool could make LDCT a lot more attractive to health systems and patients.
"The availability of blood-detectable markers for selecting a high-risk population for subsequent LDCT screening could help reduce screening costs and increase compliance," wrote Pier Paolo Di Fiore, MD, from the European Institute of Oncology in Milan, and colleagues.
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