LONDON: New technology could help doctors identify the right treatment for lung cancer patients more quickly, Scottish experts have said.
Researchers from the University of Edinburgh and National Health Service (NHS) Lothian have developed a new method for accurately predicting genetic changes that cause lung cancer, without the need for slower, more expensive laboratory techniques.
The findings have the potential to accelerate testing for lung cancer patients, helping doctors to identify the right treatment for patients more quickly.
"This approach has the potential to take processes that currently cost thousands of pounds and require weeks of lab work and reduce them to something that takes minutes and costs hundreds,” Dr Qiang Wang, co-lead of the study from the Institute for Regeneration and Repair, said.
"That is a step change in what is clinically achievable, particularly for centres and health systems where access to complex molecular testing is limited.”
According to the University of Edinburgh, lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide.
Some lung cancers carry specific DNA genetic changes, which can determine whether patients would benefit from targeted treatments.
Detecting these mutations currently requires laboratory tests such as gene sequencing, which can be expensive, time-consuming, and use up valuable tissue from small biopsy samples.
The new approach uses a technique called fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) to predict those mutations without the need for genetic testing or tissue staining.
The technology captures natural light signals from tissue samples, which are then analysed by artificial intelligence for patterns.
In the study, the method was able to predict the presence of EGFR mutations with very high accuracy. It could also distinguish between the two most common types of EGFR mutations that are important for treatment decisions.
"Clinicians are increasingly seeing more patients with earlier-stage disease and dealing with a growing number of biopsy samples, placing significant pressure on diagnostic services,” Dr David Dorward, consultant thoracic pathologist at NHS Lothian, said.
"Technologies like this, which can deliver more information from smaller tissue samples at speed, will be essential for developing clinically effective diagnostic pathways.”
Professor Ahsan Akram, co-lead of the study from the Institute for Regeneration and Repair, said: "This is a significant step towards a future where a single, non-destructive fluorescence scan of a biopsy could quickly inform clinicians whether a patient has cancer, what type of cancer they have and now, with this work, if it is likely to respond to targeted treatment, helping to ensure the right treatment reaches the right patient more quickly.”
The research team is now working towards clinical validation of these approaches, with further work aiming to extend the platform to other cancer types, additional targetable mutations, and integration into clinical workflows. – dpa
