Researchers at Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital (RBWH) are developing a simple saliva test that could help identify early signs of lung cancer. 

Building on a world-first RBWH discovery that used saliva to detect tiny head and neck cancers, the team is now investigating whether the same approach can help support the assessment of suspicious lung modules identified by medical imaging. 

If successful, this research could provide a simple, non-invasive diagnostic tool to complement CT scans, giving clinicians greater confidence in identifying patients who need urgent treatment while reducing unnecessary biopsies, repeated radiation exposure and the anxiety caused by false-positive results. 

Lung cancer is one of Australia's deadliest cancers, with survival rates remaining low because the disease is often diagnosed after it has already spread. 

The key to early detection is the assessment of small growths or nodules inside the lungs. But while CT scans have improved the ability to detect these earlier, they cannot always determine whether those nodules are cancerous. As a result, many patients undergo repeated scans and/or invasive biopsies for growths that ultimately prove to be harmless. Others face anxious weeks or months waiting to learn whether they have cancer. 

This project aims to give clinicians another powerful tool to support diagnosis. 

Researchers will analyse saliva samples for signs of tiny biological changes associated with lung cancer, searching for a unique ‘fingerprint’ that can distinguish the presence of harmless nodules from those requiring urgent investigation. 

The long-term goal is to develop a rapid, painless and affordable saliva test that works alongside CT scans to improve diagnostic accuracy, reduce unnecessary procedures and help more people receive treatment while their cancer is still at its most treatable.