Diagnosis of lung cancer by the analysis of exhaled breath with a colorimetric sensor array

Abstract

Background: The pattern of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the exhaled breath of patients with lung cancer may be unique. New sensor systems that detect patterns of VOCs have been developed. One of these sensor systems, a colorimetric sensor array, has 36 spots composed of different chemically sensitive compounds impregnated on a disposable cartridge. The colours of these spots change based on the chemicals with which they come into contact. In this proof of principle study, the ability of this sensor system to detect a pattern of VOCs unique to lung cancer is assessed. Methods: Individuals with lung cancer, those with other lung diseases and healthy controls performed tidal breathing of room air for 12 min while exhaling into a device designed to draw their breath across a colorimetric sensor array. The colour changes that occurred for each individual were converted into a numerical vector. The vectors were analysed statistically, using a random forests technique, to determine whether lung cancer could be predicted from the responses of the sensor. Results: 143 individuals participated in the study: 49 with non-small cell lung cancer, 18 with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease 15 with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis 20 with pulmonary arterial hypertension 20 with sarcoidosis and 21 controls. A prediction model was developed using observations from 70% of the subjects. This model was able to predict the presence of lung cancer in the remaining 30% of subjects with a sensitivity of 73.3% and a specificity of 72.4% (p = 0.01). Conclusions: The unique chemical signature of the breath of patients with lung cancer can be detected with moderate accuracy by a colorimetric sensor array.

A breath test for malignant mesothelioma using an electronic nose

“…This is the second published report of the use of electronic nose breath profiling in MM and substantiates the promise of this technique as a simple, easy way for detecting malignancy which has previously been reported for lung cancer [15,[17][18][19]. A study by DRAGONIERI et al [28] published very recently, while our paper was under review, also reports high levels of discrimination between patients with MM and those with long-term asbestos exposure using an electronic nose system, with results almost identical to those of our study.…”

“…Breath volatile organic compound (VOC) profiling can distinguish lung cancer patients from healthy controls with a high degree of sensitivity and specificity [5]. More than 4,000 VOCs have been found in exhaled breath, generated mainly from endogenous biochemical pathways including those of lipid peroxidation [15][16][17][18][19][20][21]. Techniques used for VOC analysis range from gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and ion mobility spectroscopy to colorimetric and gas sensors.…”

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) for in vitro diagnostic testing at the point of care

“…It is defined as a group of metabolic diseases where ultimately the body's pancreas does not produce enough insulin or does not properly respond to insulin produced, resulting in high blood sugar levels over a prolonged period. Glucose meters and other POC devices utilize an assortment of methods for detecting and monitoring biomarkers including electrochemical [16][17][18][19][20], magnetic [21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30], optical [31][32][33][34], label-free spectroscopic analysis [35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43], colorimetric [44][45][46][47][48][49], and plasmonic nanoparticle based sensors [50][51][52]. Generally, electrochemical detection uses potentiometric, amperometric, and impedimetric measurements in conjunction with electroactive tags or free flowing electroactive analytes [17][18][19][20] [15,53,54] are examples of electrochemical and colorimet...…”

Adsorption Properties of Typical Lung Cancer Breath Gases on Ni-SWCNTs through Density Functional Theory

“…And breath gases detection method has been widely studied due to the great potential of application in screening and early diagnosis of cancer [7]. Phillips et al proposed the idea using breath gases to diagnose lung cancer and screen out typical lung cancer breath gases [8,9].…”