US Pharm. 2013;38(11)(Oncology suppl):14.

Early lung and prostate cancers as well as their recurrence can be identified with a simple blood test, according to a study presented at the Anesthesiology 2013 annual meeting. To help diagnose early cancers, serum-free fatty acids and their metabolites may be used as screening biomarkers, as well as to pinpoint the probability of recovery and recurrence after the tumor removal, researchers found.

“While cancer is the second-leading cause of death worldwide, diagnosis at the early stages of cancer remains challenging,” said Jinbo Liu, MD, MS, researcher at Cleveland Clinic and lead study author. “In this study, we identified compounds that appear to be new screening biomarkers in cancer diagnosis and prognosis,” he explained.

“This is an exciting first step to having an uncomplicated way to detect early stages of lung, prostate and perhaps other cancers,” said Daniel I. Sessler, MD, chair of the Outcomes Research Department at Cleveland Clinic.