New Delhi, Dec 17 (NationPress) A groundbreaking team of researchers from the UK has introduced an innovative blood test designed to facilitate the real-time detection and monitoring of lung cancer. This advancement aims to significantly reduce diagnostic delays and enhance outcomes for patients.

Utilizing Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) microspectroscopy, the researchers successfully identified a single lung cancer cell within a patient's bloodstream.

This method merges sophisticated infrared scanning technology with computational analysis, concentrating on the distinctive chemical signature of cancer cells, according to experts from University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM), Keele University, and Loughborough University.

As explained by lead author Professor Josep Sulé-Suso, Associate Specialist in Oncology at UHNM, 'This method holds the promise of enabling patients to receive earlier diagnoses, tailored treatments, and fewer invasive procedures while potentially being applicable to various cancer types beyond lung cancer.'

Circulating tumour cells (CTCs) represent a specific type of cancer cell that can detach from a tumor and circulate in the bloodstream. They offer crucial insights into disease progression and treatment effectiveness, and they are responsible for cancer spread (metastasis).

Current CTC detection methods are often intricate, costly, and time-intensive, with the potential to overlook cancer cells as they frequently alter their properties while moving through the bloodstream.

The research team's technique identifies CTCs in a blood sample by projecting an infrared beam onto it—similar to the light emitted by a TV remote, albeit significantly more potent.

Different substances absorb infrared light in unique ways, and CTCs exhibit a distinctive absorption signature or 'chemical fingerprint.'

By leveraging computer analysis of the infrared absorption data, the presence of circulating tumour cells can be promptly determined.

This method, detailed in the journal Applied Spectroscopy, is more straightforward and cost-effective compared to existing techniques, employing standard glass slides found in pathology labs for sample preparation, thus simplifying its integration into routine clinical settings.

The research team now intends to validate this approach in larger patient populations, aspiring to create a swift, automated blood test that can be seamlessly incorporated into cancer care protocols.