Antibodies can spot early lung cancer

Lung cancer is usually diagnosed at a stage when the chances of long-term survival are low.

People with lung cancer usually present at a late stage in the course of their disease when their chances of long-term survival are low. At present there is little to offer for early diagnosis, even in those at high risk of developing the disease. Auto antibodies have been shown to be present in the circulation of people with various forms of solid tumour before cancer-associated antigens can be detected, and these molecules can be measured up to 5 years before symptomatic disease. The immune system produces antibodies that target antigens on lung tumors. Screening blood samples for these antibodies can help in identifying people with lung cancer in the early stages.

To assess the possibilities of early detection through auto antibodies, researchers at the University of Nottingham evaluated blood samples from 50 healthy individual and 104 patients with lung cancer for levels of antibodies to seven cancer-associated antigens.

The findings revealed that high levels of antibodies were found to at least one of the seven antigens in 76 percent of the lung cancer patients. Among patients with cancer that was localised and had not spread to the lymph nodes, antibodies were found in 89 percent of cases.

To avoid complications, a diagnostic test of lung cancer may provide a sensitive and specific blood test to aid the early detection of the disease.