Blood Protein Test Predicts Lung Cancer Years before Diagnosis.

A 14-protein blood test predicts lung cancer risk over 5 years before detection, including in never-smokers outside current screening guidelines.

• Why it matters: Early detection of lung cancer remains challenging, especially for individuals not covered by existing screening methods, risking delayed diagnosis and treatment.
• What they did: Researchers conducted a retrospective analysis using a 14-protein blood test to identify high-risk individuals and assess their potential benefit from canakinumab, an anti-IL-1β drug.
• The result: The test successfully identified high-risk individuals, enabling earlier intervention and showing that canakinumab roughly halved lung cancer incidence in this group, improving preventive strategies.