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Life
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Enhancements in Screening Pathways for Early Detection of Lung Cancer
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Enhancements in Screening Pathways for Early Detection of Lung Cancer

A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Medical Research".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 107

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Paolo Albino Ferrari

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Division of Thoracic Surgery, Azienda Ospedaliera Brotzu—Businco, Cagliari, Italy
Interests: lung cancer; thoracic surgery; non-intubated surgery; minimally invasive thoracic surgery
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Antonio Maccio

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Gynecologic Oncology, ARNAS G.Brotzu, 09124 Cagliari, Italy
2. Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Cagliari, 09124 Cagliari, Italy
Interests: ovarian cancer; minimally-invasive surgery; immune system and immunotherapy; inflammation; macrophages; cytokines; cancer cachexia; cancer-related anemia
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Historically, lung cancer has been an entity whose indolence in the early stages of disease led to ominous prognoses at the time of diagnosis at advanced stages.

However, scientific and technological developments, multidisciplinary pathways, and the spread and greater accessibility of healthcare have substantially changed the diagnosis of this type of cancer, making it much earlier.

It seems clear from modern scientific evidence that major improvements in some areas are still needed, though some directions for development appear to have been defined.

This Special Issue aims to provide a compendium of current indications and the latest innovations to significantly support the implementation of lung cancer screening programs, from diagnosis to surgery and therapy.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Diagnostics.

Dr. Paolo Albino Ferrari
Prof. Dr. Antonio Maccio
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Life is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • lung cancer screening
  • early diagnosis
  • multidisciplinary pathways
  • liquid biopsy
  • exhaled breath condensate
  • molecular imaging
  • sub-lobar resection
  • artificial intelligence

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

21 pages, 375 KiB  
Review
Current Evidence Supporting the Role of miRNA as a Biomarker for Lung Cancer Diagnosis Through Exhaled Breath Condensate Collection: A Narrative Review
by Paolo Albino Ferrari, Cosimo Bruno Salis and Antonio Macciò
Life 2025, 15(5), 683; https://doi.org/10.3390/life15050683 - 22 Apr 2025
Abstract
Lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer-related mortality, has brought exhaled breath condensate (EBC) into focus as a promising non-invasive sample for detecting molecular biomarkers, particularly microRNAs, which regulate gene expression and contribute to tumorigenesis. Ten key studies encompassing approximately 866 subjects consistently [...] Read more.
Lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer-related mortality, has brought exhaled breath condensate (EBC) into focus as a promising non-invasive sample for detecting molecular biomarkers, particularly microRNAs, which regulate gene expression and contribute to tumorigenesis. Ten key studies encompassing approximately 866 subjects consistently demonstrated distinct patterns of miRNA dysregulation in lung cancer. Notably, several reported panels achieved diagnostic sensitivity and specificity exceeding 75% through the identification of distinct miRNA signatures in EBC, with oncogenic miRNAs (e.g., miR-21) upregulated and tumor-suppressor miRNAs (e.g., miR-486) downregulated in lung cancer patients. Analytical advancements, including next-generation sequencing (NGS), have improved miRNA detection sensitivity and specificity, addressing prior limitations of low yield and variability. NGS enabled the identification of novel miRNAs and proved especially effective in overcoming the low RNA yield associated with EBC samples. However, challenges persist regarding standardization of collection, sample dilution, and potential contamination. Moreover, the reproducibility of miRNA signatures across diverse patient populations remains a critical issue. Large-scale, multicenter validation studies are needed to establish robust diagnostic algorithms integrating EBC-derived miRNAs with existing clinical tools. The potential of EBC miRNA profiling to support current screening strategies could significantly improve early lung cancer detection and patient outcomes. Nevertheless, its clinical transition requires further methodological optimization and biomarker validation. This review critically evaluates current evidence on miRNA detection in EBC for lung cancer diagnosis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Enhancements in Screening Pathways for Early Detection of Lung Cancer)
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