Cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide, estimated to be responsible for 1.8 million deaths annually.
Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and elsewhere have developed and tested an artificial intelligence (AI)-based liquid biopsy test that could help detect lung cancer early.
A new study published in 2014 found that Cancer Detection This new blood test has demonstrated that it could help accelerate lung cancer screening while reducing mortality rates.
Lung cancer is currently the leading cause of cancer incidence and mortality worldwide, with an estimated 2 million diagnoses and 1.8 million deaths annually.
Over the past five years, researchers have been developing tests that detect patterns of DNA fragments found in the bodies of lung cancer patients.
Participants with and without cancer who met criteria for low-dose computed tomography (CT) were recruited to undergo blood testing to determine which patients were at highest risk and would benefit from a follow-up CT scan to overcome appointment-related challenges, including the time it takes to arrange an appointment, travel time to the clinic, and exposure to low-dose radiation.
The AI software was trained to identify specific patterns of DNA fragments found in the blood of 576 people with and without lung cancer, and then tested on a second group of 382 people with and without cancer.
The team found that the test had a negative predictive value of 99.8%, meaning that only 2 people in 1,000 could be missing lung cancer.
The team plans to apply for U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for the lung cancer test and will also investigate whether a similar technique could be used to detect other types of cancer.
“This test is inexpensive and can be done on a very large scale,” said Victor Berculescu, professor of oncology and co-director of the Cancer Genetics and Epigenetics Program at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center.
“We believe this will make lung cancer screening more accessible and encourage more people to take up the test, which will mean more cancers will be detected and treated earlier.”
