Interesting test for detection of lung cancer by Canadian cancer research firm Perceptronix was presented at the American College of Chest Physicians conference in Montreal.
Using mucosal scrapings from the inner part of the cheek, researchers analyzed changes in the nucleus of those cells to distinguish patients with lung cancer from high-risk patients without malignancy.
In their test, lead researcher Dr. Bojana Turic, the director of clinical and regulatory affairs at Perceptronix, Inc., in Vancouver, and her team analyzed randomized cheek scrapings of 150 confirmed lung cancer patients and 990 patients at high risk for the disease.
“A sufficient amount of cells can be collected by scraping the inside of the cheek with a small wooden spatula similar to a tongue depressor,” Turic said.
According to the researchers, the cheek cell test had an overall 66 percent sensitivity — meaning it spotted cancers two-thirds of the time, and a specificity of 70 percent — meaning that it had a “false-positive” rate of 30 percent. The test achieved a 61 percent sensitivity when researchers focused on early, stage I lung cancers.
“Ultimately, this test could be administered in primary-care settings or dental offices. The procedure is simple enough that specimen collection could be done by patients themselves,” Dr. Turic explained.
Turic’s team cautioned that more testing is needed to validate the test’s performance.
Currently this test does not seem to have sufficient predictive value, as it stands, to be a robust screening tool for early lung cancer. However, with more work, it may get better, so watch out.
Read more at Perceptronix website …
Flashback: The Breathscanner 1.0; E-nose to Detect Lung CA