Boston University researchers have accelerated the timetable for a reliable lung cancer diagnosis by three to four months, according to a three-year study. BU School of Medicine professor Dr. Avrum Spira, who helped run the study, recently released information that suggest a person’s gene expression can determine if he or she has cancer.

The study, which began in January 2003, tested 152 patients in four different global locations. Spira said his goal was to prove the existence of a genetic link between smoking and cancer to enable a faster and less invasive diagnosis.

“Piggybacking” on existing technology of a bronchoscopy, a procedure that enables doctors to look down patients’ esophagi through a flexible scope, Spira said he was able to analyze genetically altered cells.

“We were trying to develop a diagnostic tool that can identify smokers who have lung cancer as early as possible,” he said. “The gene expression measurements in cells that we could obtain from your airway through bronchoscopy enabled us to obtain, in a non-invasive fashion, the cells that are exposed to cigarette smoke. Using this, we can predict whether or not you have lung cancer.”

Spira said the procedure also “improved the sensitivity” of diagnosing lung cancer.

Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine Chief Dr. David Center said Spira’s research is the first study of its kind published by the Center, and said he is hopeful as to what else can come of these findings.

“I think there are three exciting issues,” he said. “We are demonstrating that not all changes that occur with cigarette smoking are reversible. They stay with you for decades after you stop smoking, and it’s better never to start . However, most of the changes that occur revert to normal. This might also be a way to begin to determine why you get lung cancer in the first place, but that’s a long time into the future.”

By creating algorithms to help pinpoint the exact genes affected in lung cancer patients, fifth-year School of Engineering student Jennifer Beane said out of the other studies she could have chosen to work on, her three years working with Spira enabled her to be part of a larger project in which she can actually see results from her work.

“I’m happy that I’m actually a part of that lab and I’m able to work on these projects with these clinicians and biologists and work on something that’s applied, an actual clinical problem,” she said. “I sit in the lab in front of my computer every day, but there’s this bigger goal that I think about that I might actually help people some day. The most rewarding part is that I could help someone live longer.”

According to Beane, the study required researchers to analyze a set of 22,000 genes for each patient and map out which ones could be marked as the diagnosing genes.

Center said this study is merely a beginning point for what could be a new revolution in lung cancer diagnostics and possibly prevention.

“Having this bit of information, while it might be instructive, might identify the exact genes that could someday help predict whether or not someone might have a genetic predisposition to contracting lung cancer after starting to smoke,” he said.