Lung lining cells ‘can improve cancer diagnosis’

A new study has identified cells in the lining of lungs that could be used to improve lung cancer diagnosis rates.

The Journal of Thoracic Oncology paper detailed an experiment in which endobronchial epithelial-lining fluid was collected near a lung nodule using bronchoscopic microsampling, a less invasive procedure compared to surgery.

It was found that tenasin-C (TNC) gene expression and nodule sizes in the tissue and fluid lining may prove to be reliable molecular biomarkers that offer additional predictive insights for clinicians.

At the moment, standard computed tomography screening techniques tend to turn up a large proportion of false positives, making the discovery of more accurate diagnosis methods essential.

The report's authors concluded: "TNC gene expression and the nodule size are two independent factors that improved the prediction of lung cancer. However, this finding has to be verified in larger cohorts."

Currently, the government is running an awareness campaign in the UK to advise people of the potential links between persistent coughs and lung cancer.