Open AccessAn Update on the Use of Exhaled Breath Analysis for the Early Detection of Lung Cancer
Author(s) -
Nir Peled,
Vered Fuchs,
Emily H. Kestenbaum,
Elron Oscar,
Raul Bitran
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
lung cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.433
H-Index - 16
ISSN - 1179-2728
DOI - 10.2147/lctt.s320493
Subject(s) - medicine , lung cancer , electronic nose , intensive care medicine , exhaled breath condensate , lung cancer screening , cancer , medical physics , risk analysis (engineering) , data science , pathology , computer science , artificial intelligence , asthma
Lung cancer has historically been the main responsible for cancer associated deaths. Owing to this is our current inability to screen for and diagnose early pathological findings, preventing us from a timely intervention when cure is still achievable. Over the last decade, together with the extraordinary progress in therapeutical alternatives in the field, there has been an ongoing search for a biomarker that would allow for this. Numerous technologies have been developed but their clinical application is yet to come. In this review, we provide an update on volatile organic compounds, a non-invasive method that can hold the key for detecting early metabolic pathway changes in carcinogenesis. For its compilation, web-based search engines of scientific literature such as PubMed were explored and reviewed, using articles, research, and papers deemed meaningful by authors discretion. After a brief description, we depict how this technique can complement current methods and present the value of electronic noses in the identification of the "breathprint". Lastly, we bring some of the latest updates in the field together with the current limitations and final remarks.