A new invention by an international team of scientists could provide early detection with 90 percent accuracy for lung cancer, one of the most common silent killers.
Researchers associate its high mortality rate with lack of symptoms, saying that by the time of detection, cancerous cells have usually metastasized beyond a point of no return.
The device is a breathalyzer, pure and simple, yet a nose-clip sets it apart from those used to detect the presence of alcohol.
"Na-nose," as researchers have named it, contains a nanotech chip that is said to be capable of detecting the scent of cancer, or rather, sniffing it out canine style.
Chemicals produced by lung cancer tumors have a discernible scent because they evaporate easily, according to researchers.
"Our new device combines several novel technologies with a new concept -- using exhaled breath as a medium of diagnosing cancer," says Prof. Nir Peled of Tel Aviv University's Sackler Faculty of Medicine, one of three lead scientists. "Lung cancer diagnoses require invasive procedures such as bronchoscopies, computer-guided biopsies, or surgery."
According to Peled, an unexpected yet exciting result is that the device is able to discriminate between subtypes.
"Cancer cells not only have a different and unique smell or signature, you can even discriminate between subtypes and advancement of the disease," Peled said. "The bigger the tumor, the more robust the signature."
The device was tested with 90 percent accuracy on 358 patients either at risk for lung cancer or previously diagnosed.
Findings were presented at a recent American Society of Clinical Oncology conference in Chicago.
The technology has been licensed by Boston-based Alpha Szenszor and is predicted to become available within the next few years.
