DELFI Diagnostics Inc, a developer of accessible blood-based, liquid biopsy tests for early cancer detection, on Friday announced the presentation of preliminary data from the Female Asian Nonsmoker Screening Study (FANSS) at ESMO Asia 2025 in Singapore.

The study examines the feasibility of lung cancer screening in Asian women with no smoking history using low-dose CT (LDCT) combined with a cfDNA fragmentomics blood test. It enrolled women aged 40-74, of Asian descent, with no smoking history (defined as fewer than 100 cigarettes in a lifetime) and no history of lung cancer or cancer treatment within the past five years.

Lung cancer in people who have never smoked is an increasing global concern, yet no formal screening guidelines exist for this group, DELFI Diagnostics noted. Asian women with no smoking history appear to be at elevated risk for reasons that remain unclear.

FANSS is funded by private philanthropy, DELFI Diagnostics, and AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP.

Elaine Shum, MD, an oncologist and assistant professor at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, and the study's lead investigator, said: "We enrolled 1,000 participants who underwent baseline LDCT, and 13 were diagnosed with invasive lung adenocarcinoma, a 1.3% detection rate. This rate is higher than what was observed in heavy smokers in the National Lung Screening Trial."

Genome-wide cfDNA fragmentation features from these samples will contribute to ongoing efforts aimed at developing classifiers for early detection of lung cancer in non-smoking populations.

"These results demonstrate the feasibility of incorporating plasma biomarker analysis into screening studies for high-risk populations who currently lack formal guidelines. We look forward to sharing additional findings as the analysis progresses," said Amoolya Singh, PhD, DELFI Diagnostics chief technology officer.