Establishing a Cohort and a Biorepository to Identify Biomarkers for Early Detection of Lung Cancer: The Nashville Lung Cancer Screening Cohort.

A prospective longitudinal cohort of individuals at high-risk of developing lung cancer was established to build a biorepository of carefully annotated biological specimens and low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) chest images for derivation and validation of candidate biomarkers for early detection of lung cancer.
The goal of this study is to characterize individuals with high-risk for lung cancer, accumulating valuable biospecimens and LDCT chest scan longitudinally over five years.
Participants 55-80 years of age and with a 5-year estimated risk of developing lung cancer greater than 1.5% were recruited and enrolled from clinics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, the Veteran Affairs Medical Center, and Meharry Medical Center. Individual demographic characteristics were assessed via questionnaire at baseline. Participants underwent a LDCT scan, spirometry, sputum cytology, and research bronchoscopy at the time of enrollment. Participants will be followed yearly for five years. Positive LDCT scans are followed-up according to standard of care. The clinical, imaging and biospecimen data are collected prospectively and stored in a biorepository. Participants are offered smoking cessation counseling at each study visit.
A total of 480 participants were enrolled at study baseline and consented to sharing of their data and biospecimens for research. Participants are followed with yearly clinic visits to collect imaging data and biospecimens. To date, a total of 19 cancers (13 adenocarcinomas, 4 squamous cell carcinoma, 1 large cell neuroendocrine and 1 small cell lung cancer) have been identified.
We established a unique prospective cohort of individuals at high-risk for lung cancer, enrolled at three institutions for which full clinical data, well-annotated LDCT and biospecimens are being collected longitudinally. This repository will allow for the derivation of independent validation of clinical, imaging and molecular biomarkers of risk or diagnosis of lung cancer. Clinical trial registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01475500).