Testing lung fluid samples for levels of surfactant protein D (SP-D), which is thought to have a protective effect on the lungs, may help identify patients with a high risk of lung cancer, Canadian researchers report.“The only proven way to cure lung cancer is to detect it early,” lead author Dr. Don D. Sin, of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, told Reuters Health. Finding a method to predict who will and will not develop lung cancer would permit screening for high-risk patients and initiation of therapies to reduce lung cancer risk, he noted.