Simple urine test detects early signs of lung cancer

Scientists have created a new urine test which could indicate the first 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.

- ELLA PICKOVER

Cancer Research UK figures show that around 46 per cent of cases are diagnosed when a person has later stage cancer. About 43,000 people are diagnosed with lung cancer in the UK each year but only 10 per cent of people survive for 10 years after a diagnosis of lung cancer.

But researchers hope that early detection could mean that patients get treatment 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.

It has been successfully tested on mice and scientists are hoping to start testing in humans soon.

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.