Year: 2014
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to be reliable early biomarkers in a variety of cancers including that of lung. We ascertained whether the biomarker potential of miRNAs could be validated in microscopically normal and easily accessible buccal epithelial brushings from cigarette smokers as a consequence of lung cancer linked 'field carcinogenesis'. We found that compared to neoplasia-free subjects, a panel of 68 miRNAs were upregulated and 3 downregulated in the normal appearing buccal mucosal cells collected from patients harboring lung cancer (n=76). The performance characteristics of selected miRNAs (with ≥ 1-fold change) were excellent with an average under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUROC) of >0.80. Several miRNAs also displayed gender specificity between the groups. These results provide the first proof-of-concept scenario in which minimally intrusive cheek brushings could provide an initial screening tool in a large at-risk population.
Language: English
Subfield: Cancer Research
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
Funder: National Cancer Institute
Awards: Nanoscale/Molecular analysis of Fecal Colonocytes for Colorectal Cancer Screening, Spectral Markers for Early Detection of Colon Neoplasia, Transforming Colorectal Cancer Screening through Multimodal Spectral Markers, Optical Nanoscale Analysis of Buccal Cells: Transforming Lung Cancer Screening
OpenAlex ID: W2046592733