RATIONALE: Studying samples of blood from patients with cancer in the laboratory may help doctors learn more about changes that occur in DNA and identify biomarkers related to cancer.

PURPOSE: This research study is looking at blood samples from patients with non-small cell lung cancer and from healthy volunteers.

OBJECTIVES:

• Measure plasma cathepsin D levels in patients with non-small cell lung cancer and in healthy volunteers using mass spectometry.
• Measure fatty acid synthase levels in these patients and healthy volunteers using mass spectometry.

OUTLINE: Blood samples are collected from patients and healthy volunteers to measure the levels of cathepsin D and fatty acid synthase by proteomic profiling and mass spectrometry.

• Genetic: proteomic profiling
• Other: laboratory biomarker analysis
• Other: mass spectrometry

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Must meet one of the following criteria:

  • Documented diagnosis of non-small cell lung cancer

    • Any stage
    • Any time point in the course of treatment
    • Measurable disease by CT scan within the past 4 weeks

  • Healthy volunteer

    • Non-smoking, defined as < 5 packs/year history of smoking and cessation of smoking ≥ 6 months ago OR a never smoker
    • Not regularly exposed (i.e., daily) to second-hand smoke

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• No severe underlying lung disease (i.e., chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with FEV_1 < 1.0 L, pulmonary fibrosis, bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis, etc.) as determined by enrolling researcher

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• Not specified