Retrospective study: the value of GDF-15 and conventional markers in combination for clinical diagnosis of lung cancer

Lung cancer is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and effective biomarkers for its screening and monitoring are still lacking. This study aims to assess the diagnostic value of Growth Differentiation Factor 15 (GDF15) in lung cancer and its subtypes, compared to conventional biomarkers, to evaluate its potential as a predictive biomarker for lung cancer screening and monitoring. GDF15 levels were measured and analyzed in different subtypes of lung cancer and non-tumor controls. The correlation between GDF15 and the expression of eight conventional biomarkers was assessed by analyzing serum GDF15 levels in the markers^normal groups and the markers^high groups. The superiority of GDF15 in screening and monitoring of lung cancer was confirmed using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis of GDF15, alongside conventional biomarkers. Serum GDF15 levels were significantly higher in all subtypes of lung cancer compared with non-tumor controls, showing significant correlations with the levels of conventional biomarkers. ROC curve analysis demonstrated that GDF15 has superior sensitivity and specificity over conventional biomarkers, highlighting its potential as a promising diagnostic biomarker for lung cancer. GDF15 shows strong potential as a diagnostic tool for lung cancer, outperforming conventional markers. It presents a promising new biomarker for lung cancer monitoring and diagnosis.