Advances in the Early Diagnosis of Lung Cancer

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.15951825100413

• Palavras-chave: Lung cancer, early diagnosis, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), liquid biopsy, circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), computed tomography, target therapies, immunotherapy, treatment personalization, TNM staging.

• Keywords: Lung cancer, early diagnosis, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), liquid biopsy, circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), computed tomography, target therapies, immunotherapy, treatment personalization, TNM staging.

• Abstract:

  Lung cancer, especially the non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) subtype, remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Early detection is challenging due to the non-specific nature of the initial symptoms. However, advances in diagnosis, such as low-dose computed tomography (CT) and liquid biopsy, have shown great potential for improving early identification of the disease. Liquid biopsy, which analyzes circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), has been increasingly used as a complementary tool to traditional tissue biopsy, especially in patients with difficulties in obtaining tissue samples. Although liquid biopsy has yet to replace the histopathological gold standard, it has proved effective in identifying actionable genetic mutations, allowing treatment to be personalized and therapeutic response to be monitored. In addition, accurate staging using the TNM classification and the integration of new therapies, such as immunotherapy and target therapies, have led to improvements in survival rates and patients' quality of life. However, lung cancer is still diagnosed at advanced stages in the majority of cases, highlighting the need for more effective screening strategies and ongoing medical education to promote early detection.