The Role of Biomarkers in Lung Cancer Screening
Efimia Boutsikou, Georgia Hardavella, Eleni Fili, Aikaterini Bakiri, Stylianos Gaitanakis, Alexandra Kote, Κonstantinos Samitas, Ioannis Gkiozos
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Lung Cancer Screening (LCS) is an evolving field with variations in its implementation in various countries. There are only scarce data from National LCS programs. AIM: We aim to provide an up-to-date overview of the current evidence regarding the use of biomarkers in LCS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A multidisciplinary Task Force experts' panel collaborated and conducted a systematic literature search, followed by screening, review and synthesis of available evidence. RESULTS: Biomarkers in LCS could be used to improve risk stratification in high-risk participants, improve clarification regarding indeterminate lung nodules and avoid overdiagnosis in suspicious lung findings. Currently, there seem to be promising biomarkers (blood/serum/breath) that have been studied in various trials; however, there is still a lack of solid evidence in clinical validation that would pave the way for their integration into LCS programs. CONCLUSIONS: Biomarkers are the next logical step in improving the LCS pathway and its efficiency by playing an adjuvant role in a minimally invasive way. National LCS programs and pilot studies should integrate biomarkers to validate their accuracy in real-life LCS participants.