Researchers Say Breath Test Detects Breast Cancer
Reported April 13, 2010
ATLANTA — Researchers say a new test could offer a new way to identify breast cancer in the earliest stages, simply by the smell of a patient’s breath.
Doctors have known for centuries that the smell of a patient’s breath can reveal a lot about their health, but a new breath analyzer device is taking that one step farther by searching for subtle changes that could signal the early stages of cancer.
The experimental test measures organic compounds breathed out from the lungs, and identifies those associated with breast cancer. It’s being tested at the Georgia Tech Research Institute in Atlanta.
“The big difference is now, you go in you get your breast crushed. What this does, you just breathe into it and we measure just from the breath,” said Dr. Charlene Bayer, the principal research scientist on the project.
In a pilot study, the breath test was 77 percent accurate in distinguishing cancer from non-cancer compared to 80 percent for mammograms.
Experts said this could one day mean a painless, instant screening test for breast cancer.
“Very exciting to potentially put in the primary care physician’s office as a direct read system where a patient could be told right away, ‘Yes. It looks like something’s there. Go get your mammogram earlier,'” said Dr. Sheryl Gabram-Mendola, a surgical oncologist.
Researchers said the breath test probably won’t ever replace the mammogram, but it could be invaluable to allow earlier intervention, regular testing for high-risk women and offer breast cancer screening to women in Third World countries.
Source : ClickOnDetroit.com
