– Researchers have developed a prototype device that can accurately detect the difference in isoprene levels between healthy individuals and those with lung cancer, just by analyzing a person’s exhaled breath.
– Isoprene levels are lower in people with lung cancer compared to healthy individuals. This is thought to be due to changes in the body’s metabolic processes caused by lung cancer.
– The device uses nanoflakes made of a combination of platinum, indium, nickel, and oxygen to detect isoprene levels as low as 2 parts per billion (ppb) – a significant improvement over existing technologies.
– In a small-scale test, the device was able to correctly identify the 5 people with lung cancer out of a group of 13 tested, with the cancer patients having isoprene levels below 40 ppb compared to over 60 ppb in the healthy group.
– The researchers say this breakthrough in low-cost, non-invasive cancer screening through breath analysis requires further research to refine the technology and establish the accurate relationship between breath isoprene and lung cancer.
– Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, often detected at a late stage when treatments are less effective, making this type of technology very important for early detection.
Source: Science Alert
