Scientists may have found a breath test that can detect lung cancer in its early stages, reports HealthDay.  A research team from the University of Louisville used a special device designed at the academic institution.  Results were presented at the annual meeting for the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, but are still considered preliminary until they are published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Researchers tested the exhaled breath of patients that had lung lesions that were detected on CT scans and physicians thought looked suspicious.  The breath was then tested for levels of four carbonyls, which are cancer-specific substances.  Having elevated levels of three of the four carbonyls was predictive of lung cancer in 95 percent of patients.  Also, having normal levels of carbonyls was predictive of a noncancerous growth in 80 percent of patients, indicating the possibility of using this test for confirming or rejecting a cancer diagnosis.

Additionally, the test was also sensitive to changes in response to treatments.  Elevated carbonyl levels returned to normal after lung cancer patients had surgery to remove the cancer.  This test offers a non-invasive alternative to a biopsy of a suspicious lung mass.  For patients going through the stress and uncertainty of a life altering diagnosis, any additional comfort is critical.

WebMD reports that lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. in both men and women.  It is also one of the most preventable kinds of cancer.  At least four out of five cases are associated with cigarette smoking, and the cause-and-effect relationship has been extensively documented in scientific literature.  However, according to the January 10 issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), lung cancer incidence rates declined for U.S. men and women between 2005 and 2009.

This new test is not the first one finding promise in unconventional cancer diagnosis.  For example, the USA Today reported that scientists at the University of Pennsylvania Working Dog Center are training canines to detect ovarian cancer by smell.  Blood and tissue samples donated by ovarian cancer patients were used to help identify a scent profile.  The dogs are trained to bark when they detect it in a set of samples.  The USA Today video remarks that many ovarian cancer cases are not identified until they are in late stages.  These dogs may be able to identify the scent sooner, saving lives.