Abstract
Background: Both COPD and lung cancer (LC) are major health concerns caused by tobacco smoking, and represent a worldwide preventable disease burden. Although most smokers will not develop either COPD or LC, they are closely related where COPD patients are at risk for developing LC. Both pulmonary diseases are characterised by inflammatory reactions that trigger oxidative stress, liberating volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in breath. Hence, breath analysis could hold promise for the diagnosis of LC in at risk COPD patients, since many of the symptoms are overlapping.
Aim: We investigated the use of breath analysis to discriminate between healthy smokers (HS), and patients with either COPD, lung cancer (LC) or asthma.
Methods: Breath samples from 28 COPD patients, 56 LC patients, 6 asthma patients and 17 healthy smokers were obtained for VOC analysis by Multicapillary Column/Ion Mobility Spectrometer (MCC/IMS), as previously described (Lamote et al, 2017, Eur Respir J).
Results:
Conclusion: The accuracy, sensitivity and negative predictive value (NPV) of the diagnostic model for COPD vs HS and LC confirms previous research and suggests the possibility to use breath analysis by MCC/IMS as a tool in order to diagnose COPD in smokers and LC in COPD patients. However, despite a high NPV, there is a low accuracy in discriminating COPD vs asthmatic patients. Further research should validate these findings.
Footnotes
Cite this article as: European Respiratory Journal 2018 52: Suppl. 62, PA1759.
This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only).
- Copyright ©the authors 2018