| A recent in the US is offering hope for testing for | | | | survival rates, there are many who wonder why |
| lung cancer. US scientists have now developed and | | | | dogs are not trained to detect VOCs in the same |
| already tested a prototype breath test to detect | | | | manner that dogs are trained to detect drugs and |
| lung cancer. This may enable doctors to detect lung | | | | other compounds. |
| cancer at earlier stages. | | | | The prototype of this device was developed by Dr |
| The results of the US study test was published in | | | | Peter Mazzone of the The Cleveland Clinic in Ohio in |
| the international journal of respiratory medicine | | | | collaboration with the private company ChemSensing |
| Thorax. | | | | of Champaign, Illinois. The private company |
| In the tests, the colour testing device, which is the | | | | customizes Metalloporphyrins, a chemically reactive |
| size of a coin and is surprisingly inexpensive, had a 75 | | | | dye family that are sensitive to VOCs. |
| per cent success rate in detecting people with | | | | They are working to develop an inexpensive device. |
| different cancers. | | | | The only equipment available to the public are mass |
| However, the tests were not 100 per cent accurate. | | | | spectrometers or gas chromatographs. These are |
| The device showed false positives on people who did | | | | expensive and require the services of an expert to |
| not have lung cancer. This reduces the device's | | | | analyse the results. |
| effectiveness removing doctor's ability to start | | | | The new device resembles a 2 cm square key fob |
| immediate treatments. | | | | with a 6 by 6 pattern of coloured dots visible |
| The technique called a "colorimetric sensor array" | | | | through the plastic casing. Changes in the pattern of |
| picks up the chemical fingerprint of the breath of | | | | the dots indicate the presence of VOCs in the breath |
| people with lung cancer that are caused by the | | | | based on the gas makeup of the breath. |
| tumours. | | | | Scientists tested 143 patients. Patients needed to |
| Cancers produce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) | | | | breathe into the device for 12 minutes. The test |
| that are different from normal cells. Tumours in the | | | | group was divided into three groups. Some patients |
| lungs are more likely to contain increased signs of | | | | had lung cancer at various stages, some had other |
| these abnormal compounds. This increases the | | | | forms of respiratory illnesses like emphysema. The |
| potential for the device to pick up a lung cancer | | | | rest were healthy. |
| "fingerprint" in the breath. | | | | The device spotted 73 per cent of the lung cancer |
| Surprisingly, dogs are able to detect VOCs and | | | | patients and cleared 72 per cent of the non-lung |
| differentiate between people with lung cancer and | | | | cancer patients. This is not 100 per cent, but the |
| healthy people. With 'early response' a major factor in | | | | results are acceptable. |