"Rationale. Free circulating plasma DNA has emerged as a potential biomarker for early lung cancer detection. In a previous case-control study we have shown that high levels of plasma DNA are a strong risk factor for lung cancer. Objective. To assess the diagnostic performance and prognostic value of plasma DNA levels in a cohort of 1035 heavy smokers monitored by annual spiral-CT for 5 years. Methods. Plasma DNA levels were determined through real-time quantitative PCR at baseline and at time of lung cancer diagnosis.

"PURPOSE: A small-cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) is found in 50% of patients with Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS). We evaluated screening to optimize screening strategy for SCLC. It is important to detect these tumors early in newly diagnosed patients with LEMS to offer optimal patient treatment.

"Dysregulated expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) in various tissues has been associated with a variety of diseases, including cancers. Here we demonstrate that miRNAs are present in the serum and plasma of humans and other animals such as mice, rats, bovine fetuses, calves, and horses. The levels of miRNAs in serum are stable, reproducible, and consistent among individuals of the same species. Employing Solexa, we sequenced all serum miRNAs of healthy Chinese subjects and found over 100 and 91 serum miRNAs in male and female subjects, respectively.

"BACKGROUND: Our objective was to study the feasibility of detecting chromosomal deletions at 3p22.1 and 10q22.3 by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) and to examine their distribution in different areas of the airway in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. METHODS: Brush biopsies from the mainstem bronchus on the normal side contralateral to the tumor (NBB) and mainstem bronchus on the tumor side (TBB) were obtained from 122 patients who underwent surgical resection.

"Early detection and optimal treatment are the most effective means to improve cancer mortality. Mass screening for cancer has yielded a marked reduction of cancer mortality in the United States. Simple and effective methods are expected for screening of malignancy. Hematoporphyrin derivatives (HPDs) are known to accumulate in cancer cells; thus, HPD has been used for local diagnosis and photodynamic therapy of cancer. The lymphocytes of cancer patients also demonstrate the active uptake of HPD and this phenomenon has been applied for the diagnosis of cancer.

"Serum-based diagnosis offers the prospect of early lung carcinoma detection and of differentiation between benign and malignant nodules identified by CT. One major challenge toward a future blood-based diagnostic consists in showing that seroreactivity patterns allow for discriminating lung cancer patients not only from normal controls but also from patients with non-tumor lung pathologies. We addressed this question for squamous cell lung cancer, one of the most common lung tumor types.

"Chromosomal abnormalities are commonly found in bronchogenic carcinoma cells, but the molecular causes of chromosomal instability (CIN) and their relationship to cigarette smoke has not been defined. Because the Fanconi anaemia (FA)/BRCA pathway is essential for maintenance of chromosomal stability, we tested the hypothesis that cigarette smoke suppresses that activity of this pathway.

"ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Consequently, identification of clinically relevant biomarkers for the early detection of this cancer type is urgently needed. In recent years, proteomics profiling techniques combined with various data analysis methods have been successfully used to gain critical insights into processes and mechanisms underlying pathologic conditions, particularly as they relate to cancer.