Lung cancer tumor marker analysis: A clinical laboratory perspective

Abstract

Clinical laboratories are responsible for performing lung cancer tumor marker testing as part of routine clinical care. It is their responsibility to guarantee that the reported tumor marker results are reliable and meet the necessary quality standards for proper clinical use. During the different laboratory phases, pre-analytical, analytical and post-analytical, specific steps and processes can introduce errors and generate incorrect clinical interpretation. This editorial briefly outlines critical laboratory issues related to lung cancer tumor markers, specific for each of these three laboratory phases.

Lung cancer biomarkers: Raising the clinical value of the classical and the new ones

“…The first contribution of this issue highlights the laboratory perspective of lung cancer tumor marker analysis [26]. This gives the framework of the needs and challenges for a high-quality diagnostic tool encompassing the development and clinical application of appropriate assays; the harmonization and standardization requirements, the quality control aspect, and the interpretation of the results on the background of the clinical questions and other diagnostics information.…”