OSF HealthCare, a well-known integrated health system spanning across Illinois and Michigan with 16 hospitals, has teamed up with DELFI Diagnostics, Inc., a pioneer in accessible blood-based cancer tests.

Their collaboration aims to enhance lung cancer screening by utilizing DELFI's FirstLook Lung blood-based test.

Lung cancer holds the grim title of being the leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally and domestically. However, proactive annual screening has shown promise in reducing mortality rates by over 20%.

OSF HealthCare has already made significant strides by guiding 35% of its eligible patients in Illinois to undergo low-dose CT scans (LDCT), the standard for early lung cancer detection.

Building on this progress, the health system plans to introduce the FirstLook Lung liquid biopsy test into primary care settings across 18 locations initially, with eventual system-wide integration within a year.

DELFI's Chief Medical Officer, emphasizes the simplicity of FirstLook Lung, which involves a basic blood test. This approach aims to enhance screening efforts, particularly in underserved communities, by seamlessly integrating into routine blood work.

FirstLook Lung operates by analyzing DNA fragment patterns in blood, potentially revealing signs of lung cancer.

Independent validation has shown promising results, with an 80% sensitivity in screening populations and an impressive 99.8% negative predictive value (NPV), minimizing false negatives.

A radiation oncologist and the founding director of OSF HealthCare Cancer Institute, highlights the importance of early detection in improving patient outcomes.

Innovative screening approaches like FirstLook Lung can significantly boost screening rates and equip practitioners with accurate data for optimal patient care..

Despite its staggering toll, lung cancer screening rates remain low, with only a fraction of eligible adults undergoing screening annually in the U.S. Collaborations like OSF HealthCare and DELFI Diagnostics' partnership offer hope for increased screening uptake and improved outcomes in the fight against lung cancer.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: prnewswire.com

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