Lung cancer presents many challenges, and doctors still have no ‘miracle cure’.
However, if clinicians detect the disease early, they can often offer treatment with curative intent. Early detection really is the closest thing we have to a ‘silver bullet’.
We are currently funding research to develop a blood test which can help in the early detection of lung cancer.
One major challenge is detection. Many people notice few, if any, symptoms in the early stages of lung cancer. As a result, doctors often diagnose the disease only when patients arrive at hospital A&E with advanced illness.
We urgently need to change this pattern.
Our charity is dedicated to making that change happen.
The search for simpler diagnostic tests
The lungs are difficult organs to access. Doctors often need to take tissue samples through a biopsy, which involves surgery.
For this reason, a reliable and convenient early test would represent a major breakthrough. Ideally, doctors could detect lung cancer using blood or saliva samples.
Researchers around the world are exploring ways to create these tests.
At the moment, Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation supports several research projects that aim to develop simple but accurate diagnostic tools. The work is still in its early stages, but the progress is encouraging — and exciting.
Infrared technology and cheek cell testing
This project is showing exciting potential in identifying a minimally invasive test that we hope will assist in improving the early diagnosis of lung cancer.
Professor Sam Janes, University College London
Professor Sam Janes from University College London has worked with our charity for many years. We have proudly supported several of his research projects.
Now he and his team at the Lungs for Living laboratory in the Respiratory Department at University College London are exploring a new approach. They are studying whether infrared (IR) light can help identify lung cancer cells.
The researchers are testing a technology called IR spectroscopy. The method detects biochemical changes in cells taken from inside the cheek, known as buccal cells.
This project builds on earlier work funded by our charity. In that study, Professor Janes and his team successfully identified lung cancer by detecting biochemical changes when IR light interacted with buccal cells.
The team is now expanding the research. They want to know whether different techniques could produce the same results and work more easily in clinical practice.
Earlier research used a very powerful light source known as a synchrotron. In the new project, researchers will analyse buccal samples using a globar light source and a bench-top device.
These technologies cost less and are easier to access. They also include a point-of-care test that could allow wider clinical use.
As Professor Janes says, “We are adapting our methods and specifically designing experiments for evaluating the point-of-care device, which has never been used before in this way.
“Promisingly, our initial experiments are suggesting that we can detect buccal biochemical changes using the less powerful devices. We are soon to start patient recruitment, following which we will be analysing samples at the Diamond facility in Harwell to compare techniques.
“This project is showing exciting potential in identifying a minimally invasive test that we hope will assist in improving the early diagnosis of lung cancer”.
A promising blood test for lung cancer
Meanwhile, researchers at the University of Liverpool are investigating another promising approach.
Dr Lakis Liloglou leads a project that aims to confirm the viability of a blood biomarker his team discovered. Dr Liloglou has also worked with our charity for many years.
This research builds on a pilot study funded by the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation. During that study, Dr Liloglou’s team identified “chains” of nucleic acids in blood that might be used to diagnose the presence of lung cancer.
The next challenge involves producing a larger body of accurate and statistically significant results. If the results confirm the early findings, the team will move on to a full clinical trial.
Dr Liloglou described the results of the pilot study in vivid terms. He said they were like “striking oil.”
As he explains:
“What we have done so far is a discovery – now we are working towards a clinical tool.”
A brighter outlook for the future
Researchers still have much work ahead.
However, once scientists develop and refine a reliable method for diagnosing lung cancer early, doctors will treat more patients at an earlier stage.
That progress would save more lives.
Now that’s a brighter outlook.
Help us to fund more research and save the lives of people diagnosed with lung cancer.