Lung cancer: New sensor developed by Cranfield scientists may help early diagnosis

Similar in design to glucose monitoring devices, it provides results from a blood sample in just 40 minutes.

And the technology has the potential to be used by clinicians to both identify patients at higher risk of lung cancer, and tailor treatments for those already diagnosed, track how chemotherapy, for example, may be addressing the cancer.

In the three-year research project, Mahdi Arabnejad a former PhD student at Cranfield University, Sam Tothill, Professor of Bio-Nano Sensors, and Dr Iva Chianella, senior lecturer in Bio-sensors and Functional Polymers, developed the sensors to screen for two proteins in a blood sample and demonstrated the concept in a lab environment.

And the results indicate the technology could be a valuable tool in the early and accurate detection of lung cancer.

The simple and quick test means clinical staff can use the sensor to identify people with a higher risk and refer them for further testing.

Dr Chianella said: “At the moment lung cancer screening tests can be expensive and take a long time. Although it’s early stages, the sensor we have developed holds great promise of early detection, which can lead to prompt treatments with higher patients’ survival rates.”