Use of an Internet-based protocol to collect clinical information and blood from patients with lung cancer who never smoked cigarettes

Abstract

e19064 Background: At least 10% of patients develop lung cancer despite smoking <100 cigarettes in a lifetime. These “never smokers” with lung cancer have a unique clinical course and likely represent a subgroup genetically distinct from lung cancer patients with a history of cigarette smoking. Few genes associated with the development of lung cancer in this population have been found. To identify genetic risk factors, we plan to perform genome-wide association studies (GWAS) but need to study a large group of cases - more than that seen at a single institution in a reasonable timeframe. To speed accrual, we hypothesized that we could use the internet to collect clinical information and blood from never smokers with lung cancer. Methods: We established an IRB- approved protocol to collect prospectively clinical information and blood samples from patients recruited via the internet. Interested patients enroll via the website ( www.mskcc.org/neversmokerswithlungcancer ), or by email ( neversmokerswithlungcancer@mskcc.org ). Eligibility criteria: age ≥18 yo, pathologic diagnosis of lung cancer, smoking history <100 cigarettes in a lifetime, resident of the U.S. Study materials (information packet, screening questionnaire, consent form, and tissue sample collection kit) are directly sent to patients. Bloods are drawn at routine local doctor visits and returned to study investigators by free overnight shipping. All data are kept confidential. Results: The website went online on 14 Sept 2008. As of 5 Jan 2009, 70 patients from 25 states contacted us via the internet. 33 patients signed the consent form, 27 were eligible, and 19 sent blood samples. For those who sent blood, the median time between first email contact and receipt of blood was 29 days. Conclusions: Collection of clinical information and blood samples from cancer patients is feasible over the internet. We are expanding efforts to connect with individuals appropriate to this study, with a target of 2000 patients. The identification of risk variants associated with lung cancer through GWAS can facilitate the development of new strategies for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. No significant financial relationships to disclose.