Lung cancer remains one of the deadliest cancers in Canada, with nearly 50% of cases diagnosed at Stage IV, where survival rates are extremely low. Early detection is critical to improving patient outcomes, yet current screening methods are costly, require specialized imaging and are not easily accessible to all Canadians.

This project aims to develop and validate a blood plasma-based laboratory-developed test (LDT) for early lung cancer detection and create an affordable, at-home plasma collection kit to enable mail-in screening. The proposed test aims to measure 10 specific metabolites in a process that takes just five minutes per sample and is designed to be cost-effective, with an estimated price of less than $35 per test. Ensuring the stability of plasma samples collected at home will be a key focus to guarantee reliable results comparable to those obtained in a clinical setting.

Key project milestones include:

• developing a mass-spectrometry (MS)-based LDT for detecting early-stage lung cancer;
• designing and testing an at-home plasma collection and stabilization kit for mail-in screening;
• Demonstrating that biomarker readings remain consistent between mailed-in samples and fresh venous blood plasma collected in a clinical setting;
• conducting a pilot study with 260 at-home lung cancer screening kits to evaluate feasibility; and
• taking the first steps toward Health Canada approval for a plasma-based lung cancer screening test.

By offering an omics-based, patient-centred, and cost-effective screening solution, this initiative aligns with the Healthy Outcomes Program’s goals, providing a transformative approach to early lung cancer detection and treatment across Canada.