The team validated the signature in eight global data sets, including non-smokers, finding it elevated in every group that later developed the disease.
The discovery lends weight to long-suspected but unproven ideas. “It’s definitely an early signal – and it validates an underlying assumption,” says Dr Aju Mathew, consultant oncologist at MOSC Medical College, Kolenchery, noting that it strengthens the case that inhibiting interleukin-1-related inflammation lowers the risk of lung cancer and that pollution itself drives the disease.
This link may already be applicable. Blocking interleukin-1 beta reduced early tumor growth in animal models, and in a reanalysis of a large cardiovascular trial of 4,651 patients, those with a high baseline signature who received the IL-1B blocker canakinumab saw their lung cancer risk nearly cut in half — hinting that the test may ultimately guide prevention, not just detection.
But clinicians warn not to confuse this with screening. “It is not equivalent to screening. Standard screening includes annual low-dose CT,” says Dr PS Shajahan, professor and head of pulmonary medicine, Government Medical College, Kollam. This screening remains reserved for defined high-risk groups, mainly current or former smokers aged 50-80 years. The new test, he points out, is “neither diagnostic nor predictive of lung cancer” on its own, although it may help identify people at risk for genetic reasons that current criteria miss.
The road from the laboratory to the clinic is still long. “These tests are still in an early experimental phase, but we hope that they will be recommended in the near future. Further validation studies are needed for this,” says Dr Warrier.
Until then, the Sums of the world must rely on vigilance and whatever means exist. But somewhere in a laboratory, the plan for their protection already exists – written in 14 proteins, waiting in the blood.
