A new test could help early diagnosis of lung cancer by measuring levels of DNA in the blood, British researchers have reported.
Dr Miguel Martins and his team of the Medical Research Council Toxicology Unit in Leicester, UK, carried out tests using mice, and found that they could measure circulating DNA that shows cancer cells are growing.
Blood samples were taken along with CT scans at different time intervals, demonstrating that circulating DNA could be used to detect tumours at a very early stage.
This “could even predict the presence of tumours in the lungs before they become cancerous," the team say.
The study was published in Disease Models and Mechanisms yesterday (12 February).
Dr Martins stated: “This observation is exciting because it suggests that tumour-causing mutations may be detectable in circulating DNA from patients with early-stage cancers or with pre-cancerous tumours.
“Similar studies should now be conducted using mice bearing pre-cancerous lesions in other tissues. This will give us a better idea of whether circulating DNA has potential use for early cancer detection in patients.”
Commenting on the work, Dr Mariana Delfino-Machin of the Medical Research Council, added: “This is a really promising piece of early-stage research. Lung cancer is incredibly difficult to diagnose at the stage where it can be successfully treated, leading to a poor rate of survival.
“Developing early detection strategies to improve survival rates is key, and if this can be achieved using only a blood sample it would greatly benefit patients and the NHS. We look forward to the results of the next stages of this research.”
Rakhit, C. P. et al. Early detection of pre-malignant lesions in a KRASG12D-driven mouse lung cancer model by monitoring circulating-free DNA. Disease Models and Mechanisms 12 February 2019; doi: 10.1242/dmm.036863
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