Benjamin Levy on Advances in Diagnosing Lung Cancer

Benjamin Levy, MD, medical director, Thoracic Oncology, Mount Sinai Health System, discusses recent advances in the detection and diagnosis of lung cancer.

Lung cancer has traditionally been diagnosed using tissue biopsies, though over the past two years, Levy says research shows diagnoses can be achieved early through a simple blood test. These blood samples contain cell-free DNA (cfDNA) that is shed from the tumor and may provide useful biomarkers or molecular drivers.

Similar to tissue biopsies, molecular profiling can also be performed on blood samples, Levy adds.