Researchers found that some cells from former smokers had mutational patterns more similar to those from never-smokers, suggesting that quitting at any age can be beneficial.
The diagnostic firm has agreed with Streck to incorporate its blood collection tubes into sample collection protocols for its genomic lung cancer tests.
The firm presented the results of an internal validation study earlier this month at a conference, which applied the amplicon-based tool in hematological cancers.
The partners will extend the lung cancer biomarker study to countries in and outside Europe, and see if liquid biopsy could offer benefits to tissue-based testing.
The team anticipates launching its first clinical diagnostic assay, which will detect targeted, low-frequency genetic mutations in lung cancer, in 2021.
A genome-wide association study uncovered six loci associated with heavy drinking and additional analysis found ties to other conditions including lung cancer.