Breathalyser can detect early sign of lung cancer in your breath

Main Category: Lung Cancer
Article Date: 05 Apr 2004 - 0:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   opinions  

A new device could revolutionise the detection of lung cancer during its initial stages. British scientists are developing a 'breathalyser'. This breathalyser can tell whether you have early signs of lung cancer by analysing your breath. The scientists are using technology that was created originally for oil prospecting.

The device can detect tiny traces of ethane in your breath. In fact, it is so sensitive it can identify ethane even if it is present in one part per billion.

Lung cancer releases ethane when it is breaking down cells.

Dr Kenneth Skeldon, one of the scientists, University of Glasgow, said "Early detection and monitoring of cancer and other serious diseases hugely improves the effectiveness of treatment and the possibility of cure. People can produce a higher trace of ethane in their breath when cancer strikes."

BOC (British Oxygen Company) is working jointly with the scientists. BOC has the technology to provide pure gases and pumps that are clean enough to make the device work properly.

Lung cancer is a relatively big killer. About 30,000 people die from it each year in the UK. Lung cancer has very low survival rates. Only about 5% of people who get lung cancer live for more than five years after it is diagnosed.

The main reason lung cancer has such a low survival rate is that most people only know they have it after it has been in their system for quite a while (it is hard to detect in its early stages).

• Additional
• References
• Citations