Combining PET-CT With a Glutamate-based Blood Test Improves Cancer Diagnosis in Solitary Pulmonary Nodules

Status: Recruiting
Location: See location...
Intervention Type: Other
Study Type: Interventional
Study Phase: Not Applicable
SUMMARY

Positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) is an important technique in lung cancer staging, where almost no lung lesion goes undetected. However, PET-CT often fails to discriminate between malignant and non-malignant PET-positive solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs) with a specificity of only 23%. 40-50% of those patients are advised to repeat their CT after three to six months to follow up on their lesions' progression, delaying a clear and correct cancer diagnosis and subsequent therapy. In more than 10% of the patients with an SPN on the PET-CT scan, an uncertain lung cancer diagnosis based on the PET-positive lesion leads to surgery that appears to be unnecessary. This project aims to use the plasma glutamate concentration as a biomarker to complement PET-CT in the discrimination between malignant and non-malignant PET-positive SPNs. The investigators will validate a plasma glutamate determination by high- performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) since this test needs to be rapid, cheap, minimally invasive, and available in every hospital. In addition to the analysis of plasma glutamate, other plasma metabolites will be screened to check for other potential biomarkers to discriminate between malignant and non-malignant PET-positive SPNs. Together with the PET-CTs' basic parameters, a quick measurement of fasted plasma glutamate and potentially other biomarker levels right before undergoing a PET-CT scan will support a more rapid lung cancer diagnosis and treatment, resulting in less risk for disease progression. In conclusion, our approach will improve the accuracy of lung cancer diagnosis, and avoid unnecessary surgery.

Eligibility
Participation Requirements
Sex: All
Healthy Volunteers: f
View:

• patients who undergo a PET-CT scan at ZOL for a lung nodule, who are willing to provide written informed consent

Locations
Other Locations
Belgium
Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg
RECRUITING
Genk
Contact Information
Primary
Jill Meynen, Master degree
jill.meynen@uhasselt.be
003289804034
Backup
Liesbet Mesotten, prof. dr.
Time Frame
Start Date: 2022-03-02
Estimated Completion Date: 2027-11-01
Participants
Target number of participants: 350
Treatments
Other: Blood sampling
Blood sampling
Related Therapeutic Areas
Sponsors
Leads: Hasselt University
Collaborators: Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg

This content was sourced from clinicaltrials.gov