Non-invasive exploration of metabolic profile of lung cancer with Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and Mass Spectrometry

Background: Lung cancer is a major cause of global morbidity and mortality. Current low dose CT screening is invasive and its role remains contentious. There are no known biomarkers to monitor treatment response, detect disease recurrence and patient selection for adjuvant treatment after curative surgical resection. Hence there is an urgent need to explore non-conventional and non-invasive tools to develop novel biomarkers to improve the outcome of this lethal cancer. Methods: This is an ongoing exploratory and translational study involving collection of bio fluids from 50 patients with early stage non-small cell lung cancer before and after surgical resection. The primary objective is to identify cancer specific metabolome in body fluids - sputum, exhaled breath condensate, blood and urine of the patients with early stage non-small cell lung cancer using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and Mass Spectroscopy. Conclusion: The trajectory of change in metabolic profile of body fluids before and after surgical resection may have potential clinical applications in lung cancer screening, as biomarkers for disease recurrence and exploration of novel targets for therapeutic intervention.