Washington, May 17 : In future, a simple blood test may help detect lung cancer within 24 hours after blood samples taken from the patient, even if the patient does not yet have any symptoms.

Researchers in Bonn have identified over 480 molecules whose concentration in the blood changes when a person develops lung cancer. These molecules are present in the blood cells either in increased or decreased quantities.

The findings offer hopes of developing a new blood test to diagnose lung cancer early.

"In lung cancer patients, typical patterns which can be detected with a measuring program thus emerge", said Prof Joachim L. Schultze.

The molecules are nucleic acids, which form in the body when certain genes are transcribed.

The changes in the blood also occur if the tumor is still in a very early stage.

For many years, the team working with Schultze has investigated the blood of over 200 smokers.

About half of them had lung cancer; the others were either entirely healthy or suffered from another lung disease.

The researchers then examined the subjects'' blood using biochips for certain nucleic acids and in doing so they found the typical patterns. (ANI)