The truth and how to prevent cancer


Early Detection For Lung Cancer

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



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