Use of antigen combination for detecting autoantibodies in lung cancer

A method of diagnosing and treating lung cancer in a mammalian subject by detecting three or more autoantibodies in a test sample comprising a bodily fluid from the mammalian subject, wherein three of the autoantibodies are immunologically specific for the tumour marker antigens p53, SSX1, and either p62 or KOC, which method comprises the steps of:

• (a) contacting the test sample with a panel of three or more tumour marker antigens of which three of the tumour marker antigens are p53, SSX1, and either p62 or KOC;
• (b) determining the presence or absence of complexes of the tumour marker antigens bound to autoantibodies present in the test sample;
• (c) diagnosing the subject with lung cancer when complexes containing at least the tumour marker antigens p53, SSX1, and either p62 or KOC bound to autoantibodies present in the test sample are detected;
• and
• (d) administering a lung cancer treatment to the diagnosed subject.

A method of predicting response to a lung cancer treatment, the method comprising detecting three or more autoantibodies in a test sample comprising a bodily fluid from a mammalian subject, wherein three of the autoantibodies are immunologically specific for the tumour marker antigens p53, SSX1, and either p62 or KOC, which method comprises the steps of:

• (a) contacting the test sample with a panel of three or more tumour marker antigens of which three of the tumour marker antigens are p53, SSX1, and either p62 or KOC;
• (b) determining the presence or absence of complexes of the tumour marker antigens bound to autoantibodies present in the test sample;
• (c) detecting the amount of specific binding between the tumour marker antigens and autoantibodies present in the test sample;
• and
• (d) comparing the amount of specific binding between the tumour marker antigens and the autoantibodies with a previously established relationship between the amount of binding and the likely outcome of treatment,
• wherein a change in the amount of specific binding, when compared to controls, predicts that the patient will or will not respond to the lung cancer treatment.

A method of detecting lung cancer in a mammalian subject by detecting an autoantibody in a test sample comprising a bodily fluid from the mammalian subject, wherein the autoantibody is immunologically specific for a tumour marker antigen selected from the group consisting of p53, SSX1, SOX2, GBU4-5, HuD, p53-95 and CK8, and wherein the method comprises the steps of:

• (a) contacting the test sample with a tumour marker antigen selected from the group consisting of p53, SSX1, SOX2, GBU4-5, HuD, p53-95 and CK8;
• and
• (b) determining the presence or absence of complexes of the tumour marker antigen bound to autoantibodies present in the test sample,
• wherein the presence of said complexes is indicative of the presence of lung cancer.