Cancer DNA circulates in bloods even when no lung cancer tissues presents in body. DNA tests can help doctors to detect Lung Cancer without Biopsy. In European Lung Cancer Conference (ELCC) in Geneva, Switzerland an international group of researchers has reported that Blood DNA test detects the lung cancer mutations and can help a doctor to choose the best cancer treatment for lung cancer while no lung cancer tissues are present in body of lung cancer patients.
In ELCC they present their study, which is called ASSESS, simple blood test has an ability to show EGFR mutations; in respect of testing the tumor itself. Testing a tumor is called Biopsy and it is very painful and sometime makes lung dis-functioning; as a piece of lung is taken for a test in Biopsy.
Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) testing is to help predicting benefit of treating patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer with an EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKIs); that can prevent activation of the signaling pathways and improve response rates in selected NSCLC patients.
It has been found that EGFR mutations are more present in women and persons who smoke less than 100 cigarettes in their life. It has been found that EGFR mutations present in NSCLC patients in United States it’s about one in every ten and in East Asia it’s about a little more than one in every three patients.
Sometimes there is no tumors found in lung cancer patients, but they have visible lung cancer symptoms; then a simple blood DNA testing help doctors to detect lung cancer EGFR TKIs mutations in non-small cell lung cancer patients and help doctors to treat them. Also blood DNA tests are less painful than Biopsy; as I already said in this article about Biopsy process.