Molecular Predictors of Cancer in Patients at High Risk of Lung Cancer

• To quantitate the molecular changes during lung cancer development [ Time Frame: After collection of designated samples ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

  As a part of the study nasal brushing specimens, sputum, blood, urine, and a small amount of other tissue will be collected during standard of care procedures (bronchial epithelial, trans-thoracic fine needle aspiration (FNA) and thoracentesis as part of patient work up.

  Clinical diagnosis is the primary goal of the procedure. All the research specimens are collected after the primary goal of the procedure is met.

  
  

• Develop a method to diagnose and stage pre-invasive and invasive lesions [ Time Frame: After collection of designated samples ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  Use of proteomic techniques in the laboratory to find a method of diagnosing lung tissue as benign or malignant rather than relying on invasive open-chest surgery for a diagnosis
  
  

OBJECTIVES:

• To use fixed lung tissue for histological evaluation and fresh tissue samples for molecular studies to study DNA, RNA, and protein abnormalities in lung preneoplastic and neoplastic lesions.
• To use proteomic techniques, including matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS), to develop a method of diagnosing and staging both pre-invasive and invasive lesions, using less invasive methods.

OUTLINE: Blood, urine, nasal cell, and sputum samples are collected. Lung tissue samples are also collected using fluorescence bronchoscopy and epithelial cell collection.

Samples are studied by genetic and proteomic analyses, including comparative genomic hybridization, expression microarray, and protein profiling.