are Bay Biosciences provides high quality, clinical grade lung cancer tumor tissue samples with matching sera (serum), plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) biofluid specimens from patients diagnosed with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC).

Moreover, the serum, plasma and PBMCs are processed from SCLC patient’s peripheral whole-blood using customized processing protocols.

Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) Overview

Small cell lung cancer is a disease in which malignant cancer cells form in the tissues of the lung. Moreover, this type of lung cancer grows and spreads faster than Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC). Consequently, it usually metastasizes (spreads) to other organs of the body by the time of diagnosis.

Additionally, small-cell lung carcinoma has divided into two clinical & pathological stages. Limited Stage (LS) and Extensive Stage (ES). The stage, therefore, generally depends on the presence or absence of metastases.

If the tumor confines itself to one lung and the lymph nodes close to that lung, then it is considered the cancer to be limited stage (LS). On the other hand, if the cancer spreads beyond that, doctors consider it to be Extensive Stage (ES).

Signs and Symptoms of Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC)

Furthermore, patients with SCLC typically have had symptoms for a relatively short time before they are diagnosed.

Common symptoms include cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, dyspnea, weight loss, and debility. Furthermore, over 70% of patients with small-cell carcinoma present with metastatic disease. Common sites include the liver, adrenals, bone, and brain.

First, symptoms due to local growth of the tumor include the following:

Second, symptoms due to spread of the cancer to nearby areas include the following:

  • Firstly, hoarse voice, resulting from compression of the nerve that supplies the vocal cords.
  • Secondly, shortness of breath, resulting from compression of the nerve that supplies the muscles of the diaphragm.
  • Likewise difficulty swallowing, resulting from compression of the esophagus (food pipe).
  • Lastly, swelling of the face and hands, resulting from compression of the superior vena cava.

Additionally, symptoms due to distant cancer spread depend on the site of spread and can include the following symptoms:

  • First, when the cancer  has spread to the brain it can cause headaches, blurring of vision, nausea, vomiting, weakness of any limb, mental changes, fatigue and seizures.
  • Second, when the cancer has spread to the vertebral column can cause back pain.
  • Moreover, when the cancer has spread to the spinal cord can cause paralysis and loss of bowel or bladder function, sometimes can cause diarrhea or constipation.
  • Furthermore, when the cancer has spread to the bone can cause bone pain.
  • Finally, when the cancer  has spread to the liver, it can cause pain in the right upper part of the abdomen.

Finally, symptoms due to paraneoplastic syndromes include the following:

  • Symptoms may or may not be characteristic of a specific organ system
  • Nonspecific symptoms include fatigue, loss of appetite, and weight gain or loss
  • Severe muscle weakness
  • Changes in skin color, texture, and facial features
  • Trouble with balance or walking
  • Changes in mental status

Causes of Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC)

  • Small-cell lung cancer is more strongly linked to smoking
  • Secondhand tobacco smoke doubles the risk for developing lung cancer.
  • People who mine uranium have higher risk of developing small-cell lung cancer.
  • Researchers have reported that exposure to radon (an inert gas that develops from the decay of uranium) causes small-cell lung cancer.
  • Exposure to Asbestos increases the risk of lung cancer.

Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) Diagnosis

In addition to the regular clinical investigation, like patients medical history, surgical, work and smoking history. In addition, patients physical exam to check general signs of health. Following are the initial diagnostics tests and exams performed to identify suspected lung cancer in particular Small Cell Lung cancer (SCLC):

CT SCan

CT scan of the chest: An X-ray machine linked to a computer takes a series of detailed pictures of the inside of the chest from different angles to check for abnormalities and to investigate presence of lung cancer. Other names of this procedure are also computed tomography, computerized tomography, or computerized axial tomography.

Thoracentesis: The lungs are enclosed in a sac. Lung cancer can cause fluid to collect in this sac. This is called pleural effusion. In people who havecancer, this fluid may contain cancer cells. The fluid is removed by a needle and examined for the presence of cancer cells.

Bronchoscopy

Bronchoscopy: This is a procedure used to look inside the trachea (windpipe) and large airways in the lung for abnormal areas. A bronchoscope which is a thin, flexible, lighted tube with a tiny camera on the end is inserted through the mouth or nose and down the windpipe. From there, it can be inserted into the airways (bronchi) of the lungs. During bronchoscopy, the doctor looks for tumors and takes a biopsy (a sample of tumor tissue and cancer cells that is removed for examination under a microscope) from the airways.

Lung Biopsy

Lung biopsy: If a tumor is on the periphery of the lung, it may not be seen with bronchoscopy. Instead, a biopsy sample has to be taken with the help of a needle inserted through the chest wall and directly into the tumor tissue. This procedure is called a transthoracic needle biopsy.

Mediastinoscopy

Moreover, mediastinoscopy: This procedure is performed to determine the extent the tumor has spread into the mediastinum (the area of the chest between the lungs). Mediastinoscopy is a procedure in which a tube is inserted behind the breastbone through a small cut at the lowest part of the neck. Samples of lymph nodes (small, bean-shaped structures found throughout the body) are taken from this area to look for tumors and cancer cells.

Additional Tests

Once the patient has been diagnosed with lung cancer, further exams and tests are performed to find out whether the cancer has spread (metastasized) to other organs. These tests help determine the stage of the cancer. Staging is important, because lung cancer treatment is based on the stage of the cancer and the type of cancer. Tests used to detect the spread of cancer may include the following:

Blood Tests

Blood tests: Complete blood count (CBC) provides information about the type and count of different types of blood cells, serum, electrolytes, kidney and liver function. In some cases, these tests may identify the site of the metastasis (spread of the cancer). These tests are also important to assess the organ functions before starting treatment.

CT Scans

CT scan of the chest and abdomen: An X-ray machine linked to a computer takes a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body from different angles. The doctor may inject a dye into a vein. A contrast agent may be given to swallow so that the organs or tissues more clearly show up on the scan.

MRI Scan

MRI: Moreover, MRI is an imaging technique used to produce high-quality images of the inside of the body. A series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body are taken from different angles. The difference between an MRI and CT scan is that MRI uses magnetic waves, whereas CT scan uses X-rays for the procedure.

Radionuclides Bone Scans

Radionuclide bone scan: With the help of this procedure, the doctor determines whether the lung cancer has spread to the bones. The doctor injects a minute quantity of radioactive material into the vein; this material travels through the bloodstream. If the cancer has spread to the bones, the radioactive material collects in the bones and is detected by a scanner.

PET Scans

PET Scan: A small amount of radioactive material is injected into the bloodstream and measures the metabolism of the organs to see if the cancer has spread.

VATS

Video-assisted thoracoscopy (VATS): A doctor will insert a lighted tube with a video camera through small openings in the chest. It’s a way to look at the lungs and other tissue. A biopsy may also be done.

EBUS

Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS): A doctor inserts a flexible tube with a video camera and an ultrasound attached, through your mouth and into your windpipe and lungs. They can look at the lungs and lymph nodes nearby and can take a biopsy of the tissue.

Biospecimens

biospecimens

Bay Biosciences is a global leader in providing researchers with high quality, clinical grade, fully characterized human tissue samples, bio-specimens, and human bio-fluid collections.

Moreover, human biospecimens are available including tumor tissue, serum, plasma and PBMC samples from most other therapeutic areas.

Furthermore, Bay Biosciences maintains and manages its own biorepository, the human tissue bank (biobank) consisting of thousands of diseased samples (specimens) and likewise normal healthy donors for controls. Additionally, available in all formats and types.

In fact, our biobank procures and stores fully consented, de-identified and institutional review boards (IRB) approved human tissue samples, human biofluids such as serum samples, plasma samples from various diseases and matched controls.

Also, all our human tissue collections, human biospecimens and human biofluids are provided with detailed, samples associated patient’s clinical data.

In fact, this critical patient’s clinical data includes information relating to their past and current disease, treatment history, lifestyle choices, biomarkers, and genetic information.

Additionally, researchers find the patient’s data associated with the human biospecimens extremely valuable and use it to help identify new effective treatments (drug discovery & development) in oncology, as well as in other therapeutic areas and diseases.

Bay Biosciences banks wide variety of human tissue samples and human biological samples, including fresh frozen human biospecimens cryogenically preserved at – 80°C.

For example fresh frozen tissue samples, tumor tissue samples, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE), tissue slides, with matching human bio-fluids, whole blood and blood-derived products such as human serum, human plasma and human PBMCs.

Bay Biosciences is a global leader in collecting and providing human tissue samples according to the specified requirements and customized, tailor-made collection protocols.

Please contact us anytime to discuss your special research projects and customized human tissue sample requirements.

Types of Biospecimens

Bay Biosciences provides human tissue samples (human specimens) and human biofluids from diseased and normal healthy donors which includes:

Moreover, we can also procure most human biospecimens and human biofluids, special collections and requests for human samples that are difficult to find. All our human tissue samples and human biofluids are procured through IRB-approved clinical protocols and procedures.

In addition to the standard processing protocols, Bay Biosciences can also provide human biofluids such as  human plasma, human serum, and human PBMCs bio-fluid samples using custom processing protocols; you buy donor-specific collections in higher volumes and specified sample aliquots from us.

Bay Biosciences also provides human biospecimens from normal healthy donors; volunteers, for controls and clinical research, Contact us Now.