DNA Levels May Help Detect Early Lung Cancer

Researchers at the National Tumor Institute in Milan, Italy, have discovered that lung cancer patients have much higher levels of DNA in their blood than healthy people. This finding may lead to an effective, inexpensive way to identify patients with early lung cancer. The research was reported in Cancer Research.

The Italian researchers compared DNA levels in blood samples obtained from 84 lung cancer patients scheduled for surgery with DNA levels in 43 healthy subjects. The lung cancer patients were found to have an average of 17 times more DNA in their blood than the healthy subjects. The measurement of DNA identified 86% of patients with cancer and showed no false-negatives. The researchers also found that if the DNA in a patient's blood is identical to DNA in a tumor previously removed from that patient, it may indicate that the patient is having a recurrence of cancer.

Cancer cells divide much more rapidly than most normal cells, resulting in increased levels of DNA in the bloodstream, according to the researchers. Current lung cancer screening may include x-rays and computed tomography (CT) scans but does not include measuring the level of DNA in blood. Also, such methods do not detect cancer until the tumors are too large for effective treatment. The researchers hope that a simple test for DNA levels will enable doctors to diagnose lung cancer at an earlier stage.