Blood test detects lung cancer return months before imaging can

Researchers at NYU Langone Health and the Grossman School of Medicine evaluated a tumor-informed whole-genome blood test in 42 post-surgical lung cancer patients. By measuring circulating tumor DNA, the assay identified recurrence of stage IA lung adenocarcinoma with 75% sensitivity and 83% specificity, providing a median early warning of 16.7 months compared with standard imaging. Negative blood results were linked to sustained remission, suggesting the test could help avoid unnecessary scans or treatments.

The team emphasizes that the retrospective study is small and calls for prospective validation in larger cohorts to define testing intervals and integration with imaging. Experts from the Lung Cancer Research Foundation called the findings encouraging but stressed the need for further trials before clinical adoption.