Lung Cancer

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death worldwide, accounting for nearly one fifth of all cancer related deaths (WHO statistics). In the US, lung cancer is the second most common cancer in men and is second or third in women, depending on race. It is estimated that 140,000 new cases are diagnosed in the US annually, with 155,000 deaths.

In the early stages of lung cancer there are few symptoms, and there are currently no reliable early diagnostic tests. Patients tend to be diagnosed with advanced disease where surgery is not possible. These patients have poor prognosis with a 90% 5-year death rate. This contrasts with patients for whom surgery is possible where around 50% of patients remain disease free after 5 years.

Lung cancers can be divided into two main groups. Non-small cell lung cancer accounts for 80% of cases and has slower progression than small cell lung cancer, which accounts for the remaining 20% of cases. Within non-small cell lung cancer there are further sub-divisions into adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and large-cell carcinoma.

Proteome Sciences has studied the protein expression profiles of lung tumours, and identified key markers of disease in tissue and blood as early diagnostics and targets for immunotherapy. Antibodies have been identified in the blood of patients with lung tumours that specifically react with these marker proteins, even at the earliest stages of disease. Licensing partners are required to develop and commercialise these discoveries.