Evidence-Based Supplement & Herb Guides

Minimal Residual Disease ctDNA Test for Lung Cancer: Recurrence Monitoring, MRD, and Tumor DNA

Learn how lung cancer MRD ctDNA testing detects molecular residual disease, what positive and negative results mean, how it can precede recurrence on scans, and why treatment decisions still require clinical context.

A minimal residual disease (MRD) ctDNA test looks for tiny amounts of lung cancer DNA that may remain in the bloodstream after treatment intended...

MSI Test for Lung Cancer: Microsatellite Instability, Mismatch Repair, and Result Meaning

Learn what MSI testing means in lung cancer, how MSI-H, MSS, dMMR, and pMMR results differ, how NGS, PCR, and IHC are used, and why this rare biomarker can matter for immunotherapy and hereditary evaluation.

An MSI test for lung cancer checks whether tumor DNA shows microsatellite instability, a pattern caused by defective DNA mismatch repair. Microsatellites are short...

Napsin A IHC Test for Lung Cancer: Adenocarcinoma Marker, Tumor Origin, and Positive Staining

Learn how Napsin A IHC supports lung adenocarcinoma diagnosis, what positive granular cytoplasmic staining means, why negative results do not exclude lung cancer, and when other tumor origins must be considered.

Napsin A immunohistochemistry (IHC) is a tissue stain used mainly to support the diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma. Napsin A is an aspartic protease normally...

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Biomarker Test: Driver Mutations, PD-L1, and Molecular Profile

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) biomarker testing examines a tumor for molecular changes and protein markers that can influence treatment. In advanced NSCLC, broad...

NSE Test for Lung Cancer: Small Cell Lung Cancer Marker, High Levels, and Monitoring

Learn what an NSE blood test means in small cell lung cancer, why levels can be high, how hemolysis causes false elevations, and how serial NSE trends may support treatment and recurrence monitoring.

Neuron-specific enolase (NSE) is a blood biomarker that can be elevated in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and other neuroendocrine conditions. The test measures...

NTRK Fusion Test for Lung Cancer: Gene Fusion, Tumor-Agnostic Marker, and Molecular Meaning

Understand NTRK fusion testing in lung cancer, including tumor-agnostic meaning, RNA NGS, pan-TRK IHC, positive results, negative-result limits, and next steps.

An NTRK fusion test looks for an abnormal joining of one of three genes—NTRK1, NTRK2, or NTRK3—to another gene. When the rearrangement creates an...

p40 IHC Test for Lung Cancer: Squamous Cell Marker, Tumor Classification, and Positive Staining

Learn how p40 IHC helps classify lung squamous cell carcinoma, what positive nuclear staining means, how p40 compares with p63 and TTF-1, and its key limitations.

The p40 immunohistochemistry test is a tissue stain used to identify squamous differentiation in lung cancer. p40 is an isoform of the TP63 protein,...

PD-L1 Test for Lung Cancer: TPS Score, Protein Expression, and Result Meaning

Understand the PD-L1 test for lung cancer, including TPS score ranges, protein-expression meaning, assay differences, result limits, and how PD-L1 guides NSCLC treatment.

The PD-L1 test for lung cancer is an immunohistochemistry test that measures programmed death-ligand 1 protein on tumor cells and helps guide the use...

ProGRP Test for Lung Cancer: Small Cell Lung Cancer Marker, Tumor Burden, and Monitoring

Understand the ProGRP test for lung cancer, including SCLC marker ranges, kidney effects, tumor-burden trends, treatment monitoring, NSE comparison, and result meaning.

The ProGRP test measures pro-gastrin-releasing peptide in blood and is most useful as a circulating marker for small cell lung cancer. Small cell tumors...

RET Fusion Test for Lung Cancer: Gene Fusion, Positive Result, and Molecular Meaning

Understand RET fusion testing in lung cancer, including positive-result meaning, KIF5B and CCDC6 partners, RNA NGS versus FISH, negative-result limits, and next steps.

A RET fusion test looks for a rearrangement that joins the RET gene to another gene and creates an abnormal RET kinase that can...

ROS1 Fusion Test for Lung Cancer: Gene Fusion, Positive Result, and Molecular Meaning

Understand ROS1 fusion testing in lung cancer, including what a positive result means, RNA NGS versus FISH, negative-result limits, and molecular significance.

A ROS1 fusion test looks for a rearrangement that joins the ROS1 gene to another gene and creates an abnormal growth-driving kinase. In non-small...

SCC Antigen Test for Lung Cancer: Squamous Cell Carcinoma Marker and Monitoring

Understand the SCC antigen test for lung cancer, including normal-range limits, causes of high results, squamous cell carcinoma relevance, and monitoring use.

The SCC antigen test is a blood test that measures squamous cell carcinoma antigen, a protein released in higher amounts by some squamous cell...

Small Cell Lung Cancer Biomarker Panel: ProGRP, NSE, DLL3, and Disease Monitoring

Understand how ProGRP, NSE, and DLL3 biomarkers are used in small cell lung cancer, including blood-test trends, DLL3 expression, monitoring limits, and result interpretation.

A small cell lung cancer (SCLC) biomarker panel may combine blood markers such as progastrin-releasing peptide (ProGRP) and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) with tumor markers...

TTF-1 IHC Test for Lung Cancer: Tumor Origin, Adenocarcinoma Marker, and Positive Staining

Learn how the TTF-1 IHC test helps identify lung adenocarcinoma, what positive or negative nuclear staining means, and why other markers are needed.

The TTF-1 immunohistochemistry test is a tissue stain that helps pathologists determine whether a tumor has features typical of lung adenocarcinoma or certain lung...

Tumor Mutational Burden (TMB) Test for Lung Cancer: Mutation Load, Genomic Score, and Meaning

Learn what a lung cancer TMB test measures, how mutations per megabase are calculated, what TMB-high means, and how the score fits with PD-L1, NGS, and immunotherapy decisions.

Tumor mutational burden (TMB) is a genomic score that estimates how many acquired DNA mutations are present in a tumor, usually reported as mutations...

Blood-Based Multi-Cancer Early Detection Test: Cancer Signals, Screening, and Follow-Up

Learn how blood-based multi-cancer early detection tests find cancer signals, what positive and negative results mean, and what follow-up may involve.

A blood-based multi-cancer early detection test, often called an MCED or MCD test, looks for biological signals that may come from one of several...

CancerSEEK Test: Multi-Cancer Blood Test, Tumor Markers, and Early Detection Research

CancerSEEK combines tumor DNA mutations and protein markers for multi-cancer detection. Learn what research shows, how results are interpreted, and why follow-up matters.

CancerSEEK is a research multi-cancer blood test developed to detect cancer-related DNA mutations together with circulating protein tumor markers. The original assay was designed...

Cell-Free DNA Cancer Test: Tumor DNA in Blood, Mutation Detection, and Result Meaning

Understand how cell-free DNA cancer tests detect tumor DNA, mutations, and blood-based genomic signals, plus what positive, negative, and inconclusive results mean.

A cell-free DNA cancer test analyzes DNA fragments circulating in blood plasma. Most cell-free DNA, or cfDNA, comes from normal cells, especially blood-forming cells;...

Circulating Tumor Cell (CTC) Test: Tumor Cells in Blood, Cancer Monitoring, and Prognosis

Learn how circulating tumor cell tests detect tumor cells in blood, what CTC counts can mean for prognosis, and how CTC testing compares with ctDNA liquid biopsy.

A circulating tumor cell test looks for intact cancer cells that have detached from a tumor and entered the bloodstream. These circulating tumor cells,...

Circulating Tumor Cell Count Test: High Levels, Tumor Cell Burden, and Prognosis Meaning

Learn what high circulating tumor cell counts mean, including common CTC thresholds, prognosis, tumor-burden limits, treatment trends, and result interpretation.

A circulating tumor cell count test measures rare intact tumor cells found in a defined volume of blood. In selected metastatic cancers, especially breast,...