New biomarker could aid earlier lung cancer diagnoses

A team of researchers in China have determined a new biomarker that could be used to detect lung cancer in patients at an earlier stage than is currently possible.

According to data published in the Clinical Cancer Research journal, a protein called isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH1) is present at high levels among lung cancer sufferers and can be detected in the blood with 76 percent sensitivity and 77 percent specificity.

When using a mathematical model to combine the detection of IDH1 with the existing markers CEA, Cyfra21-1 and CA125, the sensitivity increased to 86 percent, while there are also hopes that the biomarker could be used to detect precancer.

It could be a promising noninvasive diagnostic marker for lung cancers, which are currently associated with high mortality rates due to the fact they are often caught late.

Dr Jie He of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences in Beijing said: "With an increase in ageing population, we are likely to see an increase in lung cancer incidence and a need for better biomarkers for early diagnosis."

Lung cancer is the second most common cancer in England and Wales, with an estimated 40,800 new cases being diagnosed every year.