02 Jun Lung Cancer: Breath Test Increasingly Accurate

Posted at 10:50h in Biomarkers, Journal Clinical Oncology, Lung Cancer by

Prof. Nir Peled MD PhD FCCP Pulmonologist & Medical Oncologist Thoracic Cancer Unit, Davidoff Cancer Center, RMC, Kaplan St, Petach Tiqwa, Israel International Lung Cancer Association; Committee Chair; Prevention, Screening & Early Detection of Lung Cancer, IASLC.MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Prof. Nir Peled MD PhD FCCP
Pulmonologist & Medical Oncologist
Thoracic Cancer Unit, Davidoff Cancer Center, RMC, Kaplan St, Petach Tiqwa, Israel
International Lung Cancer Association;  Committee Chair; Prevention, Screening & Early Detection of Lung Cancer, IASLC.

MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of this study?

Dr. Peled: The study focuses on early detection of lung cancer through the exhale breath NaNose which was developed by Prof Hossam Haick (Israel).   The study included 358 patients who were diagnosed or at risk for lung cancer. The multisite enrollments included UC Denver (Dr Fred Hirsch), Tel Aviv University (Dr Nir Peled), Jacksonville (Dr Stuart Millstone, Dr Douglas Johnson) and Liverpool (Dr John Field).

The NaNose was able to detect lung cancer with a very high accuracy (~90%) even when the lung nodule was tiny and hard to sample. It was even able to discriminate between sub histologies of cancer, which was unexpected.

MedicalResearch: What is the importance of these findings?

Dr. Peled: The importance of the study is that the results come at a very crucial time, where we are facing a real challenge in the implementation of the screening programs for lung cancer. Even though the USPTF has adopted the IASLC recommendation for screening for lung cancer with LDCT, Medicare has just rejected reimbursement, claiming high false positivity. Adding biomarkers, such as non-invasive breath analysis, on top of the LDCT might increase the specificity of the screening algorithm and reduce the false positive rate significantly.

MedicalResearch: What should patients and providers take away from this report?

Dr. Peled: This approach, of non-invasive measures to detect cancer are very attractive and may contribute significantly to the IASLC efforts to fight against lung cancer, to detect lung cancer early enough and to reduce the mortality from this terrible disease.

We have still way to go, however we are moving forward and hope to have such tools available in the clinic in the coming years.

Citation: 

2014 ASCO Abstract No: 7560

Breath analysis as a noninvasive biomarker for early detection of lung cancer.
J Clin Oncol 32:5s, 2014 (suppl; abstr 7560)

 

Last Updated on December 21, 2014 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

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