New Blood Test Developed to Detect Lung Cancer – CPT Code and Available in the US

The test was launched here in the US last week. It does have a CPT code but the web pages sates they do not anticipate insurance coverage yet for the test so you are on your own for this one. The NHS plans to have the test worked into their system within a year. BD

From the website:

“EarlyCDT^TM does have established, applicable CPT codes and though we have not tested reimbursement directly with carriers we do expect that some patients will attempt submission and may receive payment. That being said, we are releasing EarlyCDT^TM as a self–pay test and do not expect immediate reimbursement form carriers. We are still in the process of finalizing pricing as we complete the analysis of focus group inputs, market comparisons, reimbursement potential and economic modeling.”

British scientists have developed the first blood test for lung cancer which could save thousands of lives.
The revolutionary test picks up proteins in blood that are only produced as a reaction to the presence of lung cancer cells.
These proteins will appear long before tumors develop, meaning further investigations in the form of scans and biopsies could be started at a much earlier stage.

The overall performances of the test compared to a CT scan is better, because a scan produces so many false positives.'
The antibodies produced by the body in response to the presence of cancer cells are different for each type of disease.
Mr Hamilton-Fairley says Oncimmune has identified the antibodies specific to breast cancer and is in the final stages of developing a test for the disease, which will be available in months.

But he hopes that a single blood test, which would be able to identify any cancer type, will be available within five years. It would involve patients giving a conventional blood sample and could become a routine part of NHS care for people considered most at risk, such as smokers, those with respiratory diseases and those with a family history of the disease.