Lung cancer could be detected with a urine test after new discovery

Scientists have created a world-first urine test which could indicate the first possible signs of lung cancer.

The majority of cases of lung cancer in England are diagnosed at later stages, meaning the disease can be harder to treat.

But researchers hope that early detection could mean that patients get treatments sooner, giving them a better chance of overcoming the disease.

The pioneering test looks for so-called “zombie” cell proteins which could indicate a patient has lung cancer in its earliest stages.

Scientists at the University of Cambridge’s Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, and the Early Cancer Institute, looked at proteins excreted by senescent cells.

These cells are often referred to as “zombie cells” because they are alive in the body but are unable to grow and divide.

The cells cause tissue damage by reprogramming their immediate environment to help promote the emergence of cancer cells.

Now, scientists have developed an injectable sensor that interacts with zombie cell proteins and releases an easily detectable compound into urine, which signals their presence.

Researcher Professor Ljiljana Fruk told the PA news agency: “We know that before cancer emerges there are changes in the affected tissues.

“One of the changes is the accumulation of damaged cells that are not damaged enough to be removed, but enough to release signals that reprogram the tissue and make it perfect for cancer development.

“We identified a specific protein released by these cells in lung tissue and designed a probe that is cut into two pieces in its presence. The probe is composed of two parts and the smaller one is released into urine through kidneys.

“Once in urine, this part of the probe is too small to be detected, but it can be made visible by adding a bit of silver solution to it – the same silver compound used in photography in the early days of analogue photos.

“By monitoring the colour of urine after the injection of the probe we can say if cells are present in lungs that would indicate the early signs of pathological changes that might lead to cancer.”

She added: “Ultimately, we wanted to develop a urine test that could help doctors identify signs of the early stages of cancer – potentially months or even years before noticeable symptoms appear.”

Scientists behind the study, which is being funded by Cancer Research UK, said they were keen to find a test which was a cheaper alternative to expensive scans.

Prof Fruk added: “We urgently need cost effective, easy to use and sensitive strategies for early detection of cancer, particularly within high risk groups or those in danger of cancer recurrence.

“Urine tests such like this could be performed in hospital labs even in the absence of expensive imaging instruments and rely both on specific proteins which can be linked to particular tissue.

“We worked on lung, but there are other proteins that will be present in other tissues undergoing changes.”

Experts are hoping to end the pre-clinical stages of clinical trials soon and assess the effectiveness of the test in humans.

“We have proven that urine detection works in mice,” Prof Fruk said.

“We now need to move to more pre-clinical validation, identification of specific proteins in other cancers – we are interested in breast, melanoma and pancreatic cancer – and then validate it in patients.

“Of course, parallel to science we need to make sure that we have a kit in place which can be easily used by hospital lab technicians all over the world.

“Lots of progress has been done in treatment of particular types of cancers, but we need to more and we need to do it faster.”

Dr Iain Foulkes, Cancer Research UK’s executive director of research and innovation, said: “Cancer Research UK has been at the heart of lung cancer progress for more than 50 years, with over half a million lives saved from lung cancer since the mid-1980s.

“The announcement of this project being led by Professor Fruk is another example of our commitment to driving progress so that more people can live longer, better lives, free from the fear of cancer.”

Patrick Kelly, Cancer Research UK (CRUK) spokesperson for the East of England, said: “With Lung Cancer Awareness Month, we hope people will do what they can to show their support – whether that’s backing our Smokefree UK campaign or donating to help our scientists make the next big breakthrough.”

Lung cancer is the third most common cancer in the UK, with around 50,000 people diagnosed each year.

Only 10% of people survive for 10 years after a diagnosis of lung cancer.

CRUK figures show that around 46% of cases are diagnosed when a person has later stage cancer.