Sputum Lung Cancer Test Shows Promise

In a pilot clinical trial involving 76 subjects, a new test identified patients with lung cancer out of a group that also included people with no disease and people with benign lung diseases. The results of the trial are to be presented at the American Thoracic Society meeting in San Francisco in May.

Called LungAlert, the test identifies a cancer marker in sputum. It uses chemicals to generate a color-change reaction, measured by a handheld spectrophotometer. LungAlert is the product of International Medical Innovations Inc. (IMI, Toronto, Canada). Following on the positive results of the pilot test, the company is developing a prospective 500-patient trial to confirm the effectiveness of the test.

"There is a real need for an effective screening test for lung cancer because there are no effective screening tests currently available. A test like this could fill a major medical gap,” said Dr. John Miller, head of thoracic surgery at St. Joseph's Hospital, McMaster University, and co-investigator in the trial.