deCODE Cancer

deCODE Lung Cancer test

Identifies a quarter of the population at 20% to 58% above average risk of lung cancer.

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The deCODE Cancer Scan detects the same risk factors and markers included in our individual tests for:

Breast Cancer (deCODE BreastCancer™) and
Prostate Cancer (deCODE ProstateCancer™)

together with:

Basal Cell Carcinoma, Bladder Cancer, Colorectal Cancer, Lung Cancer, Ovarian Cancer, Testicular Cancer and Thyroid Cancer.

Lung Cancer

Screening and prevention

How the deCODE Lung Cancer test can help.

Smoking is bad for anyone’s health, but it is particularly dangerous for some. Smoking cessation is the single most important and effective means of reducing risk of lung cancer, and having the most detailed information on individual risk of lung cancer may be a valuable aid in getting your patients to quit.

Early diagnosis of lung cancer has an important bearing on prognosis. Individuals who are identified as being at high risk for lung cancer may be referred to have chest X-rays, a sputum cytology examination, or a spiral CT scan.

deCODE Cancer detects two SNPs, rs1051730 and rs401681, associated with risk of lung cancer. They are located on chromosome 15, within the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor gene, and on chromosome 5, near the TERT gene, respectively.

deCODE first identified Rs1051730 as a contributor to nicotine addiction. It was subsequently associated with risk of lung cancer, and its affect on susceptibility to lung cancer is likely due to the fact that smokers with the at-risk version of the SNP tend to smoke more and find it harder to quit smoking. It may also confer risk of lung cancer through a mechanism not mediated by nicotine addiction, thhough no such mechanism has yet been found.

The association between the deCODE markers and lung cancer was made and replicated in multiple cohorts, comprising some 2000 patients and 30,000 controls.

At present, the risk conferred by these markers has been validated only in individuals of European ancestry.

This content was last reviewed on February 04, 2011.