Early detection of Lung Cancer

LUNG CANCER EARLY DETECTION:

CRBCM IS SEEKING FUNDING FOR A STUDY TO SEE WHETHER CURRENT MOLECULAR TESTING COULD DETECT EARLY LUNG CANCER IN SELECTED GROUPS OF HEAVY SMOKERS.  WE PLAN TO SELECT 150 HEAVY SMOKERS (HISTORY OF 60 PACK A YEAR).
OBTAIN SEQUENCIAL SERUM LEVELS OF E-CADHERIN, METALLOPROTEINASE, AND TUMOR GROWTH FACTOR BETA (EVERY 3 MONTHS FOR 1 YEAR).  A PET SCAN WILL BE OBTAINED AT DAY 1 AND DAY 365.  SELECTED INDIVIDUALS  WILL BE OBSERVED FOR 3-5 YEARS THERE AFTER WITH YEARLY CHECK OF MARKERS AFTER THE FIRST YEAR.

ALTHOUGH PET FINDINGS ARE CRITICAL FOR OUR EVALUATION, WHAT WE ARE CONCENTRATING ON IS TO SEE WHETHER THESE "TUMOR MARKERS" FOLLOWED SEQUENTIALLY COULD PREDICT LUNG CANCER IN HEAVY SMOKERS.

IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE THE LEVELS OF THESE MARKERS ON PATIENTS WITH INCIDENTAL POSITIVE PET FINDINGS.  ANOTHER COROLLARY MEASUREMENT WILL SCREEN FOR ANA AND RHEUMATOID FACTOR TO SEE WHETHER COEXISTING AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES AFFECT THE PATTERN OF THESE MARKERS, PARTICULARLY THE TGF.
SHOULD THESE FINDINGS BE SIGNIFICANT, A TRIPLE KIT COULD BE DEVELOPED FOR EARLY DETECTION OF LUNG CANCER.