Lung Cancer Screening

Paula's Test

The test developed by 20/20 GeneSystems, Inc. in Rockville MD is known as the PAULA’s Test. The name serves both as an acronym indicating the nature of the test (i.e., Protein Assays Using Lung Cancer Analytes), and to honor one of the Foundation’s namesakes, Paula Shore. Individuals or physicians interested in having the test may obtain additional information at www.paulastest.com.

Why We Built the Test

Lung cancer doesn’t make headlines like it should. Maybe because it’s quiet. Maybe because it’s complicated. But here’s the brutal truth: it kills more people than the next three cancers combined.

Most of the time, it doesn’t even give you a symptom until it’s already got you by the throat. That’s why we created Paula’s Test. To tip the odds. To catch it early. To give people the one thing lung cancer hates—time.

We recommend the test every year for former and current smokers—especially anyone over 50 with a history of 20 pack-years or more. If that’s you, you’re not just at risk. You’re the reason this test exists.

But lung cancer doesn’t just target smokers. Secondhand smoke, air pollution, and bad luck mean that one in five women diagnosed never lit a cigarette. That’s why we believe in smarter screening for everyone at risk.

Right now, spiral CT scans are the go-to for high-risk individuals—but Paula’s Test offers something big: no radiation, fewer false alarms, wider access, and a shot at spotting lung cancer before it even shows up on a scan.

It’s not a silver bullet. But it’s close. It’s backed by science. And it’s saving time—for people who deserve every second of it.

What’s Next

Paula’s Test was just the beginning. The team at 20/20 GeneSystems is already pushing into the next frontier—layering in AI, expanding the range of detectable biomarkers, and developing multi-cancer panels that go beyond lungs. The goal? One blood draw. Dozens of answers. Faster decisions. Earlier treatments. And a world where finding cancer early is just routine—not a miracle.