The breath of life
A new test of the air we exhale will make it easier for doctors to diagnose lung cancer. one of the world’s most deadly killers might be in for an extremely tough fight
A new test of the air we exhale will make it easier for doctors to diagnose lung cancer. one of the world's most deadly killers might be in for an extremely tough fight
Early detection of cancer is the key to a good prognosis. But some cancers are harder to spot than others. Lung tumours, which are the number one cause of death among cancer patients, are among the hardest to identify. A revolutionary new technology developed by researchers in Leipzig could change that.
The symptoms of a tumour-related cancer tend to resemble those of a chronic inflammatory reaction, at least in the early stages. To get a fuller diagnosis, the patient often has to undergo a bronchoscopy. This procedure, which involves irritation of the lung or removal of tissue samples, is particularly unpleasant for the patient.
Scientists in Germany have been working on a less invasive approach. Using their discoveries, the patient simply needs to exhale normally for about 20 minutes. Their breath is then condensed, evaporated and tested for special biomarkers that recognise substances such as the protein responsible for stimulating the growth of new blood cells. Analysis of these markers can suggest whether there are cancer cells in the patient’s lungs.
A team of researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI in Leipzig and the University Clinic of Leipzig discovered the right biomarkers in 2006 and have been working since then to develop a diagnostic technique.
Their method uses two new innovations. They have developed both the protein biomarkers that identify cancer cells and the antibody needed to make their new test work.
Unfortunately, the laboratory method for detecting the biomarkers in a breath sample is still too “elaborate and expensive” for normal everyday use, says Dr Jörg Lehmann, a cell engineering specialist at the Fraunhofer Institute. But that is what they are working on now.
The team’s goal is to develop a prototype diagnostic kit for doctors to use. Within just a few years, every physician investigating a suspicion of lung cancer could use the test in his or her practice to see whether there really is a tumor and quickly initiate treatment, says Lehmann. With lung cancer, speed saves lives.
