As part of our ‘Cancer Conversations’ series, people with a personal experience of cancer, either themselves or through a loved one, chat with some of the amazing researchers we are working with.
Here Debbie Whelan, survivor of lung cancer, met with Dr. Sinead Toomey of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland to discuss her research which investigates how genetic markers found in breath and blood can be used to predict risks of lung cancer recurrence and improve treatment.
Lung cancer accounts for over 20% of all cancer deaths in Ireland and has a 5 year survival of just over 16%. However early stage disease is more easily treated and has a much better prognosis.
Dr. Toomey works in the lab of Professor Bryan Hennessy and the team there analyse the breath of lung cancer survivors to detect genetic mutations that could predict the probability of a future recurrence of the disease.
Currently, the only way of predicting recurrence is through invasive biopsies, which cannot be performed frequently due to patient health risks, and blood sampling, which is not fully reliable as it only has a 1 in 5 accuracy prediction rate.
This new method of testing breath samples has outperformed blood-based testing to date and the research investigates its capabilities further. The aim of the research is to complement the current blood-based detection approach to provide a better overall picture, help determine the best treatment options, and ultimately improve outcomes for people with lung cancer.
Негізгі бет Debbie Whelan and Dr. Sinead Toomey in conversation about Lung Cancer
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