As easy as breathing: New study to find out if breast cancer can be detected early in breath
The IWK Health Centre is participating in a study to determine if breath analysis can effectively detect breast cancer in its early stages. The non-invasive test, developed by Breathe BioMedical, aims to identify specific chemical patterns in exhaled breath to streamline screening processes.
Why it matters
Developing non-invasive, accurate screening tools could improve early detection rates and treatment outcomes for breast cancer patients.
Dr. Ashley Drohan is a surgical oncologist and a co-director of the breast health research unit at the IWK. (Mark Crosby/CBC - image credit) The IWK Health Centre has become the second partner in a study aiming to detect breast cancer earlier, one exhale at a time.
Using a patient's breath, this non-invasive test could be used in tandem with mammograms to help streamline additional screening methods for the disease.
The Halifax hospital's breast health research unit partnered with Breathe BioMedical, a New Brunswick company developing technology to analyze breath for early disease detection.
When a person exhales, compounds created in the body are released. This test, which involves breathing into a tube, collects these compounds and identifies patterns found in patients with breast cancer. It then compares the patterns with compounds found in people without the disease.
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