Background: The increase in lung cancer screening is intensifying the need for a noninvasive test to characterize the many indeterminate pulmonary nodules (IPN) discovered. Correctly identifying non-cancerous nodules is needed to reduce overdiagnosis and overtreatment. Alternatively, early identification of malignant nodules may represent a potentially curable form of lung cancer. Objective: To develop and validate a plasma-based multiplexed protein assay for classifying IPN by discriminating between those with a lung cancer diagnosis established pathologically and those found to be clinically and radiographically stable for at least one year. Methods: Using a novel technology, we developed assays for plasma proteins associated with lung cancer into a panel for characterizing the risk that an IPN found on chest imaging is malignant. The assay panel was evaluated with a cohort of 277 samples, all from current smokers with an IPN 4–30 mm. Subjects were divided into training and test sets to identify a Support Vector Machine (SVM) model for risk classification containing those proteins and clinical factors that added discriminatory information to the Veteran’s Affairs (VA) Clinical Factors Model. The algorithm was then evaluated in an independent validation cohort. Results: Among the 97 validation study subjects, 68 were grouped as having intermediate risk by the VA model of which the SVM model correctly identified 44 (65%) of these intermediate-risk samples as low (n=16) or high risk (n=28). The SVM model negative predictive value (NPV) was 94% and its sensitivity was 94%. Conclusion: The performance of the novel plasma protein biomarker assay supports its use as a noninvasive risk assessment aid for characterizing IPN. The high NPV of the SVM model suggests its application as a rule-out test to increase the confidence of providers to avoid aggressive interventions for their patients for whom the VA model result is an inconclusive, intermediate risk.

Background: To reduce over diagnosis and overtreatment of prostate cancer, a noninvasive and easy to administer test is needed to assess the risk of clinically significant disease. Such an assay must also be able to help accurately inform whether a prostate biopsy is warranted.

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Background: In the National Lung Screening Trial, 96.4% of nodules had benign etiology. To avoid unnecessary actions and exposure to harm, individuals with benign disease must be identified. We describe herein the analytical validation of a multi-analyte immunoassay for characterizing the risk that a lung nodule found on CT is malignant. Those at lower risk may be considered for serial surveillance to avoid unnecessary and potentially harmful procedures. While those nodules characterized at higher risk may be appropriate for more aggressive actions. Objective: To validate the analytical performance of multiplexed plasma protein assays used in a novel test for lung nodule characterization. Methods: A multiplexed immunoassay panel for the measurement of plasma proteins in current smokers who present with a lung nodule on CT scan was evaluated in a clinical testing laboratory. Assay analytical sensitivity, reproducibility, precision, and recovery of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR), Prosurfactant protein B (ProSB), and Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinases 1 (TIMP1) from human EDTA plasma samples were evaluated across multiple runs, lots, and technicians. Interfering substances and sample pre-analytical storage conditions were evaluated for their effect on analyte recovery. The lung nodule risk score reproducibility was assessed across multiple lots. Results: The assay sensitivities were 0.10 ng/mL EGFR, 0.02 ng/mL ProSB, and 0.29 ng/mL TIMP1 with over three orders of magnitude in the assay dynamic ranges. The assays and analytes are robust to pre-analytical sample handling and the plasma can be stored for up to 4 days at 4°C either when freshy collected or thawed after long-term storage at −80°C. Total imprecision after 20 days of testing remained under 9% for all three assays. Risk score variability remained within a ± 10% risk score range. Conclusions: The three protein assays comprising the multi-analyte plasma test for lung nodule characterization performed quite acceptably in a clinical laboratory.

Background: To reduce overdiagnosis and overtreatment of noncancerous pulmonary nodules found on CT scans, a noninvasive and easily administered test is needed to assess clinically significant disease risk. Such an assay should also accurately inform whether additional aggressive evaluation, including lung biopsy or thoracic surgery, is warranted. Objective: To determine the performance of a novel, plasma-based multiplexed protein test model when compared to the Veterans Affairs Clinical Factors Model (VA model) for discriminating between a lung cancer diagnosis established pathologically and an Indeterminate Pulmonary Nodule (IPN) found to be clinically and radiographically stable for at least one year. Method: The protein biomarker-based risk model had been trained and tested with a cohort of 277 subjects at high risk of lung cancer, aged 25-85, who were current smokers with an indeterminate lung nodule 4-30mm in diameter (121 subject training set; 59 subject test set) from eight medical centers across the US. Using retrospective plasma samples, we compared the protein biomarker model results with the malignant or benign outcomes in an independent validation cohort comprised of 97 subjects from the Vanderbilt University medical center. Result: Among the 97 validation study subjects (average age 60.1 years, range 42-83; average nodule size 16.1mm), the protein biomarker model correctly identified as benign or malignant an additional 44 of the 68 (65%) indeterminate pulmonary nodules classified as having intermediate risk by the VA model. Negative predictive value was 0.94. Only three patients with malignant disease were missed (94% sensitivity) while an additional 28 intermediate risk samples (41%) were properly classified as true positive, thus potentially avoiding aggressive interventions in those subjects with benign disease. Conclusion: This study evaluated a novel plasma protein biomarker assay model as a noninvasive risk assessment aid for characterizing indeterminate pulmonary nodules. When the model results are combined with the VA model, risk stratification for benign nodules is improved compared to current methods in clinical practice. We hypothesize patients with benign disease may benefit the most from this assay by avoiding unnecessary lung biopsy and subsequent overtreatment, while improving patient quality of care and reducing risks from these procedures. Providers and their patients in whom they suspect lung cancer may consider using this novel assay prior to proceeding with more aggressive interventions.Background: The incidence and prognosis associated with patients undergoing sub-lobar resections and having positive lymph nodes(PLN) has been rarely studied. Our investigation will retrospectively review this topic. Method: The National Cancer Database(NCDB) was queried during the years 2004-2014 to assess patients undergoing sub-lobar resection (wedge, segmentectomy, and sub-lobar-NOS, N ¼ 38,599) and specifically the patients with PLN (N ¼ 5484). Patients were excluded who had any pre-op chemo...