About this Research Topic
Lung cancer (LC) continues to represent the second most common neoplasm in both sexes and the leading cause of cancer-related mortality, with approximately 1.8 million deaths in 2022. 70% of patients will present at advanced stage with the 5-year relative survival rate ranging between 5 and 15%. Considering that tobacco smoking remains the main risk factor for LC, the current recommendations for screening suggest that adults aged 50-80 years with a ≥20 Pack-Year smoking history should undergo an annual low-dose computed tomography (LDCT).
Yet, the LC cases in never-smokers have been doubled in the last decade, while the underlying etiology has not yet been thoroughly clarified. Moreover, the large numbers of false-positive LDCT results, up to 40% of the screened subjects, limit its effectiveness. Thus, it is of paramount importance to evaluate and validate diagnostic biomarkers which could optimally discriminate:
(a) high-risk populations who are not eligible for LC screening but should be prioritized,
(b) low-risk populations who are eligible but could avoid LDCT or safely prolong screening intervals.
Autoantibodies, proteins, miRNA, DNA methylation, and circulating tumor nucleic acids are among such candidate biomarkers for LC screening, utilizing several sources including blood, nasal epithelial scrapping, sputum, and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL).
We welcome the submission of narrative and systematic reviews, meta-analyses, original articles, and study protocols that address the emerging role of soluble biomarkers in the risk stratification and improved diagnostic accuracy in LC screening, in order to bridge the gap between basic-translational research and daily clinical practice.
Please note: Manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics, computational analysis, or predictions of public databases which are not accompanied by validation (independent clinical or patient cohort, or biological validation in vitro or in vivo, which are not based on public databases) are not suitable for publication in this journal.
Yet, the LC cases in never-smokers have been doubled in the last decade, while the underlying etiology has not yet been thoroughly clarified. Moreover, the large numbers of false-positive LDCT results, up to 40% of the screened subjects, limit its effectiveness. Thus, it is of paramount importance to evaluate and validate diagnostic biomarkers which could optimally discriminate:
(a) high-risk populations who are not eligible for LC screening but should be prioritized,
(b) low-risk populations who are eligible but could avoid LDCT or safely prolong screening intervals.
Autoantibodies, proteins, miRNA, DNA methylation, and circulating tumor nucleic acids are among such candidate biomarkers for LC screening, utilizing several sources including blood, nasal epithelial scrapping, sputum, and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL).
We welcome the submission of narrative and systematic reviews, meta-analyses, original articles, and study protocols that address the emerging role of soluble biomarkers in the risk stratification and improved diagnostic accuracy in LC screening, in order to bridge the gap between basic-translational research and daily clinical practice.
Please note: Manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics, computational analysis, or predictions of public databases which are not accompanied by validation (independent clinical or patient cohort, or biological validation in vitro or in vivo, which are not based on public databases) are not suitable for publication in this journal.
Keywords: Lung Cancer; Screening; Risk stratification; Biomarkers; Liquid biopsy
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