Netherlands researchers recently published a study showcasing the exceptional efficacy of a lung cancer breath testing device developed by a local company.
In the assessment, the Breathomix-made SpiroNose (eNose) gadget demonstrated detection accuracy ranging between 80 and 92 per cent among 364 patients with confirmed (59 per cent) or suspected cases. They say it was capable of performing this well regardless of tumour location, size or disease stage.
“This multi-centre prospective external validation study confirms that eNose analysis of exhaled breath enables accurate lung cancer detection at thoracic oncology outpatient clinics,” the authors wrote in the Annals of Oncology on Mar. 30, “irrespective of tumour characteristics, disease stage, diagnostic centre and clinical characteristics.”
The device achieved a much higher sensitivity or rate of true positives at 95 per cent than specificity or true negative results (51 per cent). The flawed ability to correctly identify negative cases proved to be one of its most significant drawbacks.
Radboud University Medical Center, the University of Groningen, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, the University of Amsterdam and University Medical Center Utrecht were the local research centres involved with the study.
“Our results suggest that implementation of eNose analysis could avoid performing unnecessary invasive diagnostic procedures in approximately 75 per cent of individuals with a benign diagnosis, at a 5-6 per cent risk of withholding a lung cancer diagnosis at thoracic oncology outpatient clinics.”
They noted that only a small percentage of study participants were non-caucasian, thereby limiting their understanding of ethnicity as a factor.
“This study represents a crucial step towards clinical implementation of breath analysis: prospective external validation,” Breathomix pointed out in a social media post. The company says it highlights the potential of non-invasive breath profiling in the diagnostic pathway for lung cancer.
A report by the Indian market research company S&S Insider published last fall predicted that the market for e-nose devices will grow exponentially. The firm expects its valuation to reach US$70.5 billion by 2032, expanding with a compound annual growth rate of 11.9 per cent from present day and nearly tripling in size.
🔥 @Annals_Oncology @myESMO 🆙
✅Lung cancer detection by electronic nose (eNose) analysis of exhaled breath😮💨
🎯Identified lung cancer across all participants (60%): ROC-AUC 0.83, sens 94%, spec 63%, PPV79%, NPV89%
👥 Dr. Alessandra Buma#LCSM @OncoAlerthttps://t.co/rtP9LWy3q3— Hidehito HORINOUCHI (@HHorinouchi) April 1, 2025
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Read more: Breath Diagnostics pioneers novel lung cancer breath test
Volatile organic compounds are the key
The SpiroNose device works by capturing and examining VOCs present in a patient’s breath and immediately sending data to an online platform made by Breathomix. This artificial intelligence-integrated system eliminates the need for sample storage.
“Instead, it measures a complete VOC-profile directly and instantly, capturing a highly accurate snapshot of each breath,” Breathomix described.
New York’s Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center has created a so-called eNose device too, but it works by identifying physical traits of VOCs rather than specific VOCs like the Breathomix device. Also, The eNose Company.
Owlstone Medical, Breath Diagnostics and Breathe Biomedical are some of the other companies focused on developing efficacious breath analysis tech. The Breath Diagnostics OneBreath system has achieved a much higher specificity than the Dutch eNose gadget at 85 per cent.
Researchers in China and South Korea have also been taking an interest in this type of medical technology.
rowan@mugglehead.com
