Tarboro Clinic offers test for lung cancer

Local News

June 25, 2009

FROM STAFF REPORTS

The Tarboro Clinic is now offering a blood test, called EarlyCDT-Lung, that could provide years of foresight in the fight against lung cancer.

The blood test, offered by De Soto, Kan.-based Oncimmune, has been offered at The Tarboro Clinic since May.

EarlyCDT-Lung "detects the body's immune response in the form of antibodies to certain proteins (antigens) produced by cancer cells,” a company news relesae stated.

Under normal circumstances, normal body tissue does not produce the antibodies, and if detected "provide high specificity for cancer," the release stated.

Tarboro Clinic Administrator Mattie Carstarphen said the effectiveness of the blood test means it can detect lesions within the lungs five years before standard radiography techniques can. That early detection of cancerous growths can significantly increase survival rates for patients.

The Tarboro Clinic was chosen as a limited commercial release site because of Edgecombe County's rural population, as well as the high concentration of smokers within the county, Carstarphen said.

"We were something they were looking for" in a sample population for the limited release, she added.

She added that the Oncimmune organization is looking to unveil a breast cancer screening test similar to EarlyCDT-Lung within the next year and a half.

While the EarlyCDT-Lung test costs between $200 and $300, Carstarphen said that vouchers are available at the Tarboro Clinic for qualified patients to pay just $25 for the test. She said that patients would be evaluated based on how many years they have smoked, how many years since they have smoked, their age and other factors.

The vouchers are good until July 15, she added.

All primary care doctors at The Tarboro Clinic can prescribe the test. Carstarphen said the blood analysis itself is done in Kansas after the blood is drawn at the Clinic.

Oncimmune said as many as 175,000 are diagnosed with lung cancer in the U.S. each year.