Biomarkers helping research teams in early lung cancer diagnose
Researchers in America believe they may have found a way to help in early diagnose of lung cancer cases, two years before it can be picked up using CT scans. Tests carried out by Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute involved the use of biomarkers. They found a pattern in patients’ microRNA that when present in the blood can point to the presence of lung disease.
Being able to identify when people are suffering from lung cancer at an early stage is extremely important as it drastically improves the patient’s chances of beating the disease. By detecting pulmonary cancers such as lung cancer early, the range of useful treatment options available increases. Currently, it is usually the case where forms of lung cancer are not detected until symptoms start to appear, and the cancer has reached an advanced stage.
For example, with mesothelioma, a form of cancer brought about due to the inhalation of asbestos fibres, it can be many decades before the damage brings on symptoms such as shortness of breath and chest pains. Work is going on around the world to come up with new ways to diagnose the disease early.
Dr Carlo M Croce, professor of molecular virology, immunology and medical genetics, and director of the Human Cancer Genetics program was the principle investigator within the Ohio research team. He said the abnormal microRNA patterns were present in the patient’s blood serum a long time before the tumors were detected using a CT scan. This suggests that there is the potential for the biomarker to have strong “predictive, diagnostic and prognostic potential”. So, doctors could potentially use a simple blood test to detect lung cancer, once the microRNA pattern is there .
The use of biomarkers to help doctors and researchers to diagnose forms of cancer has become far more widespread over recent years, now playing a vital role all over the world. They are without doubt critical to the future of medical research. As more research teams conduct tests using biomarkers then knowledge will spread and we will continue to get closer to finding ways to diagnose diseases such as cancer at early stages, benifting many millions of people all around the world. Biomarkers have a critical role to play in the future of medicine and there is no little doubt that cancer biomarkers will continue to have a profound effect.
As biomarkers continue their role in the discovery of new medicines, cancer biomarkers and other research will be extremely important.
Article from articlesbase.com