New breath test for lung cancer uses CSI-like tech

A Canadian company that specializes in infrared technologies for breath analysis says it's come up with a test that can detect lung cancer with 98.5% accuracy.

The Picomole breath test for lung cancer is based on the quantitative analysis of a small set of
trace chemicals found in exhaled breath samples.

The pilot study of 40 clinical samples included healthy controls as well as patients diagnosed with other pulmonary diseases.

The results indicated the test had a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 97% in the detection of lung cancer.

“The results of the pilot study are very promising. From a clinical point of view, the breath test is
a fast and non-invasive method to detect disease-specific metabolomic abnormalities,” says
Picomole founder Dr. John Cormier, PhD, who will present the results of the pilot study at an
upcoming conference. “The chemicals in the Picomole breath test include novel biomarkers that
were not previously identified in any lung cancer study, demonstrating the power of our infrared
technology.”

"A rapid and non-invasive test for the early detection of lung cancer such as the breath test
being developed by Picomole could have a tremendous effect on decreasing the morbidity and
mortality associated with lung cancer,” says Dr. Ali Mahtabifard, MD, an expert in minimally
invasive surgery for lung cancer at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. “The clinical significance of
such a test cannot be overstated."

“Most lung cancers do not cause any symptoms until they have spread too far to be cured.
Current technologies used in the detection of lung cancer are inadequate for mass screening
applications. As a result, lung cancers exact a staggering toll, killing roughly 1.4 million people
each year worldwide,” says Michael Tripp, Picomole Vice-President of Corporate Development.
“In the foreseeable future, a Picomole breath test could become an important tool in the fight
against lung cancer, one that is safe, low-cost, and does not expose patients to radiation.”

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