科学｜尿検査で肺がん早期発見の可能性 / Science | Possibility of Early Detection of Lung Cancer through Urine Tests

Summary

Nagoya University spin-off startup Craif has announced a new lung cancer testing method using urine.

This test detects “microRNA” in urine, which may allow for the early detection of stage 0 lung cancer. Collaborative research in Hokkaido has reported cases where tumors were found in high-risk patients, leading to successful early surgeries. This new approach is expected to enhance early cancer detection and reduce the burden on patients.

Dialogue

This dialogue is fictional and based on the article.

Chako: Hey Log, is it true that we can detect lung cancer earlier through urine?
Log: Yeah, a startup from Nagoya University announced that. They can supposedly find cancer at an early stage by detecting microRNA in urine.
Chako: What’s microRNA?
Log: It’s a small molecule produced by cells that helps identify cancer-specific markers. So it can be detected even when there are no noticeable symptoms.
Navi: To add to that, this research has shown cases where stage 0 lung cancer was detected early, which is expected to reduce the burden on patients.
Chako: That’s amazing! I hope it gets put to practical use soon!

Admin’s Note

This new urine test for the early detection of lung cancer offers great hope for patients. Particularly, being able to detect it at a stage without noticeable symptoms will expand treatment options. Additionally, the mechanism of using microRNA in the testing process may be applicable to other cancer screenings in the future. I believe the conversation between Chako and Log in the article will also inspire children to take an interest in science. I hope that as this research progresses, more lives will be saved.