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Lung cancer affects more than 5000 people every year in
Now results from the Early detection of Cancer of the Lung Scotland ("ECLS") trial have shown a combination of blood tests followed by CT scanning can help detect lung cancer earlier, when surgery is still possible.
The trial has demonstrated a statistically significant 36% reduction in late stage diagnoses of lung cancer. The
Professor
Results from the trial have been published by
The ECLS trial is believed to be the largest randomised controlled trial for the detection of lung cancer using blood-based biomarkers.
The trial is supported by the
It involves collaborators at the
Professor
"It's a bit early to draw firm conclusions but the signs are good. Over half the people involved in the trial came from more socially deprived communities too, which is rather rare in trials despite people in these areas often having the poorest health. It is something we should do more of."
To determine whether the EarlyCDT Lung blood test reduced the incidence of patients with stage III/IV lung cancer, the ECLS trial in 12,208 patients compared the use of the EarlyCDT Lung blood test followed by low dose computerised tomography ("CT") scanning to standard clinical practice over two years.
In addition, the ECLS trial results indicated a lower rate of deaths among people in the intervention arm of the trial after two years compared with people in the control group.
Lung cancer-specific deaths were also lower in the intervention group. This suggests that the EarlyCDT Lung test followed by CT imaging could produce a mortality benefit: the three-year follow up data which is scheduled to be imminently available, will be valuable in understanding the significance of this finding.
The paper concludes that blood-based biomarker panels, such as the EarlyCDT Lung test, followed by low dose CT, can detect stage I/II lung cancers earlier than standard
Earlier diagnosis means that more patients should benefit from newer, more effective, chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy and so reduce the impact of this disease.
Further follow-up analyses will be performed after five and ten years.
The paper is available online from
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