NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Researchers in the Netherlands have developed a diagnostic test to detect lung cancer by examining tumor RNA absorbed by circulating platelets called thrombocytes.

Published in Cancer Cell earlier today, the study investigated the potential and origin of spliced RNA profiles from tumor-educated platelets, or TEPs, for the noninvasive detection of early- and late-stage non-small cell lung cancer.

The researchers examined more than 700 blood samples using a biomarker signature detection platform called ThromboSeq, including patients diagnosed with late-stage non-small cell lung cancer, a smaller group with early…