Current Research
At this time, there are no standard screening tests available for lung cancer. Dr. Michael Weyant at the University of Colorado Cancer Center is targeting research efforts in this vital area of need.
Recently, a collaborative effort was established between Dr. Weyant and Dr. Kim O'Neill of Brigham Young University and his studies of Thymidine Kinase (TK), an enzyme that is elevated in the serum of many cancer patients. TK is elevated in a stage-like manner and the more advanced the tumor, the higher the level of serum TK. TK levels have been demonstrated to accurately reflect patient response to treatment. TK levels decrease in patients that respond to therapy and continue to rise in patients that do not respond to therapy. TK serum levels have demonstrated (through serial sampling) that it is possible to identify recurrence weeks and months before clinical symptoms appear.
Utilizing tissue and serum samples from the University of Colorado Denver – Anschutz Medical Campus, Dr. O’Neill and Dr. Weyant hope to link this research to an early detection of lung cancer. This research has been accepted by the American Association for Cancer Research for presentation this April in Denver.
