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EarlyCDT Lung

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The world’s most thoroughly validated blood test for the early detection of lung cancer

 

what is earlycdt lung test?

EarlyCDT Lung is the world’s most thoroughly validated blood test for the detection of lung cancer. It detects lung cancer on average four years, and up to nine years, before standard clinical diagnosis. It is a simple blood test that detects 7 circulating autoantibodies, which are generated by the body’s immune system as a defence against lung cancer at the earliest stages of the disease.

75% of lung cancer cases are diagnosed after the disease has progressed - that’s why EarlyCDT was developed to catch lung cancer earlier [1]

Lung cancer has the highest mortality rate and one of the worst five-year survival rates of all cancers. It is especially deadly because symptoms are non-specific and patients often only seek medical attention when tumours have exceeded a critical size, or when cancer cells have attacked the lymph nodes or have metastasized. However, if lung cancer is detected early before it causes symptoms, the chances for curative treatment to work are good - the average five-year survival rate for the earliest stage of the disease can be as high as 90%. The NHS have implemented some screening using CT scanners to detect nodules in the lungs, which are then biopsied to see if nodule is malignant. However, there are limited resources for UK-wide screening, and CT scans are not determinate - if a nodule is within 4-20mm it’s called an Indeterminate Pulmonary Nodule (IPN), which is too small to justify biopsy. Patients with IPNs are put on a watchful waiting list and will have regular CT scans, but by the time the nodule has grown large enough to be biopsied, it can be too late for curative treatment.

EarlyCDT has two uses:

  • Screening for lung cancer

  • Assessment of IPNs to triage for biopsy

It requires only a small volume of blood, which can be taken in a clinic or at home using a finger-prick test kit.

 
 

what do the results tell you?

1. EarlyCDT tells you whether your level of each antibody tested is low (no significant level), moderate or high. It then gives an overall result for all antibodies of Low, Moderate or High.

2. This result is then used alongside your pre-test risk score from a published risk-score model to calculate your new Post-Test Risk of lung cancer.

3. Your test provider will report these findings to you. If you have a high risk result, it’s recommended that you have a CT scan.

Click here to see the sample report page in full.

why earlycdt? - the ecls nhs trial

The Early detection of Cancer of the Lung Scotland (ECLS) trial was conducted in Scotland by the NHS. With 12,208 patients, is believed to be the largest randomized controlled trial using blood biomarkers for the detection of lung cancer. Using EarlyCDT, 41.1% of cancers detected were at an early stage (1 or 2), compared to only 26.8% using standard clinical practice. This means that it reduced late-stage diagnosis by 36%, demonstrating the efficacy of the test in detecting lung cancers much earlier than standard clinical practice.

Using the results from this trial, it was estimated that if 10,000 high-risk patients were tested using EarlyCDT to triage into CT, £964,280 would be saved and 9071 fewer CT scans would be required.

 
 

Extra Time: Portraits of hope and survival from early cancer detection

Rebecca, Glasgow

Rebecca is one of those people who makes you feel happy just to be near her. She spent her life serving the community, first as an administrator in Glasgow’s Under 5 Playgroups and later working for one of the city’s housing associations.

“I had no symptoms whatsoever when I was invited to take part in the trial,” says Rebecca, “and I had stopped smoking for over a year.”

“I wasn’t even going to take the EarlyCDT Lung Test, but I did and two weeks later I had a phone call to say that the blood test was positive. I had a scan - nothing. Another scan - nothing. It was only on my fourth scan that they found a five centimetre tumour. I was fast-tracked on the NHS. And all this time I felt perfectly well.”

“In November they operated and removed the tumour through keyhole surgery. I’d already done all my Christmas shopping, all the presents were wrapped and labelled in case I wasn’t going to be around to give them.”

“The hardest part about being diagnosed is having to tell your family: my husband, son, daughter and grandchildren. The best part is knowing I have more time to spend enjoying my family.

After retiring, Rebecca took a part time job in Asda - and two of her colleagues there were diagnosed with lung cancer (not as part of the trial) and sadly both of them were dead within a year.

“So many of my friends were not as lucky as me. We all smoked because that’s what we did in our teens - it was glamourous. I’ve been to several funerals recently of friends who’ve died from lung cancer and sat in the crematorium thinking how lucky I’ve been.”

“If I’d had no blood test and just a CT scan it would have come back negative and they would have told me to come back in two years, by which time it might well have been too late.”

“We need this blood test across the UK. It’s saved my life, and everyone should have it. It will save so many lives.”

Rebecca loves hill walking with her husband Ben of 49 years. She has an infectious smile which brightens any room.

 
 

Results showed that using EarlyCDT as a screening test, the number of late-stage cancer diagnoses was reduced by 36%.

 

who is earlycdt recommended for?

  • People who are over the age of 50 with the equivalent of a 20-pack year smoking history (the equivalent of smoking a 20-pack of cigarettes per day for one year)

  • People who are aged between 45-49 who are at increased risk of lung cancer e.g., smoker/ex-smoker, exposure to secondhand smoke, radiation therapy, exposure to radon gas, exposure to asbestos and other carcinogens, family history of lung cancer

how to access earlycdt

Via a private GP/consultant:

You can access EarlyCDT through a private GP or consultant, by booking in for a consultation where the consultant will go through all your clinical data, family history, and discuss any concerns you have. They will take your blood sample and usually book a follow-up consultation to discuss the results. They will be able to guide any further monitoring or investigation, if required. You can request any private consultant or GP to contact us to organise an EarlyCDT test for you.  

Via an in-person clinic:

Order finger-prick kit online:

You can order an EarlyCDT test online to be delivered to your address. You can then provide your blood sample using the finger-prick test kit, or you can take it to a local private phlebotomist who can take your blood for the test. The test can be posted back to us using the Royal Mail 24 hour tracked bag enclosed in the test kit. You will then receive your results from the online provider.

(Please note that some providers only offer the test to certain risk groups, and different providers offer different levels of follow-up care. Please ensure that you choose the provider that suits you.)

At home or at work phlebotomy:

  • We are partnered with Innermost Healthcare who provide phlebotomy at home or at the workplace UK-wide. Please contact https://innermosthealthcare.com/ to book this service.

Sources: (1) https://www.earlycdt.com/