Research indicates that when lung cancer is diagnosed/detected at an early-stage, the five-year survival rates can reach 85%. However, early detection remains elusive and only 15% of lung cancer cases are found at the localized early stage.

Researchers are developing a DNA test that could help diagnose early stage lung cancer.

The investigators specifically found that HYAL2 and FHIT were deleted in 84 percent and 79 percent of tumors and in 45 percent and 40 percent of matched sputum, respectively. Combining both HYAL2 and FHIT deletions increased sensitivity to 76 percent (compared to 46 percent for cytology tests) and the combined probe had a specificity of 92 percent.

The authors of the study, which was published in the January 15 issue of Clinical Cancer Research, said the specificity of the test is not yet good enough for the clinic, and so they are now expanding their test to screen for up to eight genes.

[Photo: Occasionally a lung cancer is found on a chest X-ray that has been taken for other reasons and sometimes very small tumours are hidden or not seen on a chest x-ray. Source: Cancer Council, NSW]