Israeli Researchers Develop a Simple Test Using Light to Detect Lung Cancer

Today’s medicine has made many advances in the treatment of cancer. But early detection is still the best way to get lifesaving treatment.

Now a team of researchers from Tel Aviv University (TAU) has developed a simple, low-cost blood test that can detect lung cancer, reported Ynet. The findings were published in the journal Nature Precision Oncology, and more trials are currently underway in Israel and Europe.

While treatments have improved, lung cancer causes more deaths around the world than any other type of cancer. That is why early detection is so important. The earlier the disease is detected, the greater the chance that treatments will be successful. Advances today, like the research at TAU, in the identification of cancer in its earliest stages will save lives.

A Simple Blood Test
The blood test that was developed at TAU uses an optical analysis of DNA to detect lung cancer, according to VINnews. The method extracts cell-free DNA from the blood sample, adds a fluorescent substance, and then examines it on a special chip with light. This allows the scientists to compare the sample to 170 genomic regions to identify cancer signatures.

“Instead of sequencing it, our method uses light to detect a cancer signature, at less than one-tenth the cost of a sequencing-based test,” Professor Yuval Ebenstein of TAU’s School of Chemistry and Department of Biomedical Engineering, who led the work, told VIN.

The initial study had 103 participants, 51 had stage 2-to-4 lung cancer and 52 were healthy. The test achieved 93.1 percent sensitivity in identifying people with cancer.

The test costs around $60 per sample and results are available within two to three days. The researchers said it is intended to be used with low-dose CT scans and not to replace this important diagnostic tool.

Exploring Cancer
Another benefit of the test, reported JNS, is that the test also shows potential in distinguishing between the two major types of lung cancer; adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.

The researchers also investigated whether this new technology could be used to monitor patients’ response to cancer treatment. Patients who responded to treatment showed a shift to the profile of the healthy participants while patients that didn’t respond to treatment had no changes. But these findings are preliminary and more testing is required.

“This is a significant step toward developing a tool that can complement imaging tests and help physicians diagnose lung cancer and monitor treatment effectiveness,” Ebenstein told JNS.

The blood test is still in the research stage and larger studies with diverse populations are still needed before it is ready for clinical use, the researchers told VIN. This could be a diagnostic breakthrough that will bring new hope in the fight against lung cancer.