Breathalyzer to Detect Lung Cancer

Early detection is always the best way to improve one’s survival rates when it comes to cancer, especially lung cancer. A research team from the University of Huddersfield in the UK intend to send out their creation of ‘lung cancer breathalyzer’ in pharmacies.

This project has taken three years to work on, and it involves researching a lung cancer “biomarker signature” which can be detected in one’s breath itself. Previous studies have shown that carbon-based sensors embedded with gold nanoparticles can detect chemicals in one’s breath indicating the presence of the disease in the lungs.

“When you get certain chemicals in someone’s breath, that can be a sign that there is early malignancy,” says Dr Rachel Airley who developed the project.

“The intention is that we will catch patients before they start getting the symptoms. Once lung cancer patients start experiencing symptoms it is often very advanced and has a very low cure rate”, she added.

The project has secured £105,000(US$170,000) in funding from the SG Court Pharmacy Group, where initials trials will be carried out.

Sources: gizmag.com, ubergizmo.com