Thousands take part in lung cancer study to improve early diagnosis

A Southampton-led study to improve early detection of lung cancer has recruited its final participant.

Over the last three years, 7,000 people invited to the NHS Lung Health Check service volunteered be to part of the iDx Lung study.

The research is sponsored by University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust. It is being led by Professor Peter Johnson, Professor of Medical Oncology at the University of Southampton.

Finding cancer earlier

Every year in the UK, 25,000 people are diagnosed with advanced, inoperable lung cancer. This makes it the biggest cause of cancer death in the UK and worldwide.

The iDx Lung study is testing innovative ways to detect lung cancer in its very early stages, when it is more treatable. The hope is this will help more people survive the disease in the future.

It a collaboration between the Cancer Research UK Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, the University of Leeds, the University of Exeter and several diagnostic companies.

“Unfortunately, lung cancer is often not picked up until it’s in its later stages,” says Prof Johnson, the study's Chief Investigator.

“This means treatment options are limited, and survival rates for the disease remain low compared to some other cancers. But we know that if it’s detected earlier, then lung cancer can be treated successfully.

“The iDx Lung study is using some of the latest molecular technology and innovative diagnostic techniques to try and find better ways to do this, and make sure people have the best chance of a cure.”

Research on the move

The researchers worked with NHS England’s Targeted Lung Health Check programme and Yorkshire Lung Screening Trial. These invite people at high risk of lung cancer are to have their lung health checked in a mobile CT scanning unit.

The study team parked their research van next to the CT scanning unit. They invited people having their scan to also join the iDx Lung study. 7,000 people across Hampshire, Manchester and Yorkshire agreed to take part.

Each participant gave a nasal swab and a blood sample. These were sent to laboratories, including at the Southampton Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC) at Southampton General Hospital. They were tested for changes that could indicate the early signs of lung cancer.

The team are now in the process of analysing all the data from these thousands of samples. The aim is to find out if using these tests can help increase diagnosis rates. It is hoped the study will not only improve detection rates in people with very early signs of lung cancer, but also find more cost-effective ways to diagnose the disease.

The study is funded by a £2.75m grant from UK Research and Innovation’s Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund and £750,000 from Cancer Research UK, with additional support from Yorkshire Cancer Research. It is part of a total investment of £10 million from the Government’s Early Diagnosis Mission.

It is supported by the Wessex Clinical Research Network, Thoracic Oncology Research Hub, Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. Research collaborators include Roche Diagnostics, Freenome, Neogenomics, the Lung Cancer Initiative at Johnson & Johnson and BC Platforms.

‘Delighted by response’

The team now aims to expand the study's successful model to analyse more diagnostic tests. These will look for various biomarkers, including those that may indicate the presence of cancer.

“We were absolutely delighted by the response to the iDx Lung study,” says Victoria Goss, Head of Early Diagnosis and Translational Research at the Southampton Clinical Trials Unit.

“So many people attending their CT scans were willing to take a little extra time out of their day to be part of this vital research. We want to thank every one of them for helping make the trial a success.”