Collection of Sputum and Labeling for Lung Cancer

This study will be performed at multiple study centers to collect sputum samples from three cohorts including (1) healthy Participants, (2) individuals at high risk for lung cancer and (3) individuals who have been diagnosed with lung cancer. Participants in the high risk cohort will undergo low dose computed tomography (LDCT) scans to confirm they do not have lung cancer. LDCT scans will be evaluated by a radiologist at each site. Each subject's sputum specimen will be processed in accordance with individual experimental protocol at the laboratory of bioAffinity Technologies, Inc. (BA) located at the University of Texas at San Antonio 1604 main campus in San Antonio, Texas, or at the Research DX laboratory in Irvine, California.

Once a sample is obtained and delivered to the laboratory, the Assay methodology consists of chemical dissociation of sputum to produce a single cell suspension sample that is labeled with antibodies to identify various types of cell populations in the sample. Thereafter, sputum samples are stained with the cancer detection compound, CyPath® Lung. This compound has a unique fluorescent spectrum that can be analyzed by a flow cytometer. The flow cytometric analysis confirms that the sample is from the deep lung and identifies various cell populations based on characteristics such as cell size, granularity, and antigen expression. Cancer samples can be distinguished from non-cancer samples by the presence of highly fluorescent cells labeled by CyPath®. In this manner, CyPath® can identify lung cancer cells and other distinguishing cells that have been sloughed off in the lungs and coughed up in the sputum sample, including cancer cells.

Researchers who will be blinded as to the Participant's identity will perform the experiments that compare the characteristics of samples collected by the alternate sample collection methods and labeled by CyPath® Lung. In the latter phase of the study, the analytical results of sputum sample analysis requires that the researchers be blinded to the classification of the sputum sample and methods of collection.

Findings from the CyPath® Lung Assay will not be used in the diagnosis of Participants or subsequent treatment decisions.

Inclusion criteria

Each subject must meet the following criteria to be enrolled in this study:

• Male or female
• 21 years of age or older
• Willing to provide primary care physician contact information to the investigator and agree to have medical information released if indicated
• Meet requirements of one of three cohorts in the study:

Healthy Cohort: Current non-smoker who has smoked less than 5 pack-years in his or her lifetime, and if smoked, quit more than 15 years ago, and has no known lung disease.

High Risk Cohort: Individual aged ≥55-74 who is a current smoker with a smoking history of at least 30 pack-years, or current non-smoker who has a smoking history of at least 30 pack-years, and quit smoking within the past 15 years.

Cancer Cohort: Individual who has been diagnosed by a physician as highly suspect for having lung cancer but has not yet undergone a biopsy nor received therapy, and after providing a sputum sample is confirmed to have lung cancer by biopsy.

Exclusion criteria

Participants who meet any of the following criteria will be excluded from the study:

• Severe obstructive lung disease and unable to cough with sufficient exertion to produce a sputum sample. Participants with lung disease that are able to cough with sufficient exertion to produce a sputum sample are not excluded from the study
• Angina with minimal exertion
• Pregnancy