A urine test capable of detecting lung cancer years before symptoms emerge could be rolled out on the health service in as little as five years, experts have stated. The disease, which claims more than 35,000 British lives annually, is notoriously difficult to diagnose at an early stage, with the majority of cases only identified once the cancer has spread.
However, a pioneering new test that can identify the earliest possible signs of lung cancer may soon be accessible on the NHS, according to specialists. Developed by scientists funded by Cancer Research UK, the test searches for toxic proteins in urine that can indicate lung cancer long before a patient experiences any symptoms.
Professor Ljiljana Fruk from the University of Cambridge expressed her hope to see the test 'working in real patients and rolled out across the NHS within the next five years, making a real difference to people at risk of this devastating disease.' This announcement comes shortly after NHS data revealed that thousands more lung cancer cases are being detected early each year due to a supermarket screening initiative.
The programme, which screens patients using mobile trucks stationed in sports stadiums and busy high streets, has identified more than 10,000 lung cancers since its inception in 2019. Nearly 50,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with lung cancer each year, making it the third most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related death.
Early diagnosis is crucial, with those diagnosed at the earliest stages nearly 13 times more likely to survive for five years than those diagnosed late. Yet lung cancer rarely causes symptoms in its early stages due to a lack of nerve endings in the lungs. Consequently, most cases are only diagnosed once the cancer spreads, causing symptoms like a persistent cough, chest pain, unexplained weight loss, and fatigue. Only 11 per cent of lung cancer patients survive 10 or more years after diagnosis.
The latest lung cancer test promises to dramatically improve outcomes by detecting signs of the disease before it spreads. The test looks for so-called 'zombie' cell proteins, which may indicate lung cancer in its earliest stages, potentially detecting the disease months or even years before symptoms appear. These 'zombie cells' remain alive but cannot grow or divide, instead secreting toxic chemicals that damage surrounding tissue and promote cancer emergence.
Scientists have developed an injectable sensor that releases a detectable compound into urine when it interacts with zombie cell proteins, signalling their presence. Writing in the journal Nature Ageing, researchers suggest the urine sensor may also work for detecting other lung diseases, such as pulmonary fibrosis.
Professor Fruk noted, 'The sensor has not yet been tested in humans; next are clinical trials, and it will likely take a few years to bring it to patients, but it is a first big step. It could one day be used easily in GP surgeries and hospitals to help detect recurrence in this hard-to-treat cancer much earlier.' Professor Robert Rintoul of the Department of Oncology, co-lead for the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Centre Thoracic Cancer Programme, added, 'Novel approaches for lung cancer detection and response to treatment are urgently needed to improve patient outcomes. This work forms the basis for testing within clinical trials with a view to future use in the clinic.'
Cancer Research UK's spokesman for the east of England, Patrick Keely, commented, 'With new technologies opening doors to new discoveries, we are living in a golden age of research, powerfully underlined by this innovative new urine test to detect early lung cancer.' The NHS announced on Monday that 10,678 patients were diagnosed with lung cancer as part of its supermarket screening initiative, with the majority caught in its earliest stages. The programme, involving mobile screening trucks, aims to improve Britain's poor lung cancer survival rates, as the disease remains the biggest cancer killer in the UK. The trucks, also stationed in sports stadiums and busy high streets, offer people aged 55 to 74 with a history of smoking an 'MOT for their lungs.' Areas with the highest death rates from lung cancer were prioritised, with half of England's most at-risk people now screened for the disease.
