Diagnostic Characteristics of a Serum Biomarker in Patients With Positron Emission Tomography Scans

Abstract

Background-Surgery for pulmonary nodules results in a benign diagnosis in 10% to 30% of cases. Computed tomography and fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) are highly sensitive but less specific. High-risk patients (age > 55 years and smoke > 15 packyears) for lung cancer with negative FDG-PET scans, or low-risk patients (age < 55 years or smoke < 15 pack-years) with FDG-PET-avid lesions may have higher rates of benign nodules. We hypothesized that our serum biomarker improves diagnostic accuracy by providing greater specificity.

Epidemiology of Lung Cancer

“…245 The combination of serum protein biomarkers with PET scans for nodules had 92% specifi city but only 26% sensitivity. 246 4.1.2.4.1 Candidate Proteins: The state of the art is to identify serum proteins, construct panels that distinguish lung cancer cases from controls, and independently validate results in separate populations. 244 Candidate proteins, such as circulating serum carcinoembryonic antigen and cytokeratin 19-fragment (CYFRA 21-1) and lymphocyte antigen 6 complex locus K (LY6K), have discriminated, particularly in combination, between lung cancer cases and controls but not accurately enough to be considered for diagnostic use.…”