Researchers unveil breakthrough blood test to detect, track lung cancer in real time

A team of researchers from three different institutions from the UK have come up with a technique to detect and monitor the progress of lung cancer.

A team of researchers in the United Kingdom has achieved a major breakthrough by discovering a technique for the discovery and real-time tracking of lung cancer. A unique blood test known as the Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) microspectroscopy detected a single lung cancer cell in a patient's blood, paving the way for future use of this technology.

Researchers in United Kingdom discover breakthrough technique to monitor and detect lung cancer and its progress.(Unsplash)

Breakthrough in lung cancer

This technique uses advanced infrared scanning technology and computer analysis to trace chemical clues of cancer cells. The researchers involved in this project belonged to three institutions – University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust, Keele University, and Loughborough University, and their study was published in Applied Spectroscopy.

“This approach has the potential to help patients receive earlier diagnoses, personalised treatments and fewer invasive procedures, and it could eventually be applied to many types of cancer beyond lung cancer,” the lead author of the study, Professor Josep Sulé-Suso, said.

The cells that can be traced using this new technique are known as circulating tumour cells (CTCs), which detach from the cancerous tumour and enter the bloodstream. While these cells are dangerous as they can spread the cancer, they can also provide a wealth of information about the current status of the disease and the effectiveness of the treatment.

These cells have a distinct absorption pattern for infrared light. So, in this method, a powerful beam of infrared light is passed through the blood sample to ascertain whether such cells are present. This method might make the detection and assessment of cancer much simpler in the future.

Signs of lung cancer

Fourier Transform Infrared microspectroscopy may come in handy in the future for cancer patients. However, people need to be mindful of how to detect early symptoms of cancer, so that they can catch the disease when it is treatable.

Unfortunately, as the website of the American Lung Association informs, the first symptoms of lung cancer may not be visible until the disease has progressed too far. The lung does not have too many nerve endings, meaning that a cancerous tumour can grow to a substantial size before causing any pain.

Yet, one needs to watch out for certain symptoms of the disease, such as a persistent cough that is worsening, unremitting chest pain, recurrence of diseases like bronchitis or pneumonia, shortness of breath, wheezing, and, most dramatically of all, coughing up of blood.

One must immediately consult a doctor in such situations and go through the tests the specialists advise without any delay.