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Protein 'can help detect lung cancer'
September 17, 2013
A new discovery could help the development of a test to spot lung cancer at an early stage.
Scientists have found a protein whose presence may be a very strong early indicator of the onset of lung cancer.
A study by researchers at the Laboratory of Thoracic Surgery at the Peking Union Medical College in Beijing has found the protein - isocitrate dehydrogenase - is not only very common in lung cancers, but is detectable in the blood, meaning a simple test can spot the cancer at an early stage.
Director of the laboratory Dr Jie He said the high rate of mortality associated with lung cancer is "mostly because of late diagnosis".
Private healthcare patients may be able to access any check-ups that become available using this test quickly, as they can for existing diagnostic tests.
Earlier this month, a study by the European Respiratory Society claimed the next 20 years will see a rise in deaths from lung diseases - including cancer - as a past legacy of high smoking rates.
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