New diagnostic blood test paves the way for early stage lung cancer screening. A diagnostic blood test may provide early detection of lung cancer in asymptomatic patients, according to a new study.

Lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer death, is usually diagnosed at a late stage when the survival rate is extremely low. Early stage lung cancer is mostly asymptomatic, and low-dose spiral CT imaging, the current method for detecting early lung cancer lesions, isn’t feasible as a widespread screening test for the general population due to high cost and the radiation hazard of repeated screenings.

The study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences provides proof-of-concept for the ability of a drop of blood to reveal lung cancer in asymptomatic patients. It was co-led by researchers at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital: Leo Cheng, associate biophysicist in pathology and radiology, Athinsula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, and David Christiani, pulmonary and critical care physician.

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