Exhaled Breath Analysis for Monitoring Response to Treatment in Advanced Lung Cancer

Abstract

Breath analysis, using mainly the nanoarray, may serve as a surrogate marker for the response to systemic therapy in lung cancer. As a monitoring tool, it can provide the oncologist with a quick bedside method of identifying a lack of response to an anticancer treatment. This may allow quicker recognition than does the current RECIST analysis. Early recognition of treatment failure could improve patient care.

Exhaled breath analysis for the early detection of lung cancer: recent developments and future prospects

“…Interestingly, the NaNose was able to discriminate between subtypes of LC (small cell lung cancer [SCLC], adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma)45 and mutation status11 and to track response to therapy and early recurrence 9…”

“…However, time intervals between scans might be too long to allow early identification of treatment failure. Nardi-Agmon et al9 assessed the use of breath analysis by both GC-MS and nanoarrays in monitoring response to treatment in 39 patients with advanced LC. When one sensor analysis was used, there was 85% success in monitoring disease control.…”

“…In a most recent publication, Nakhleh et al7 used an artificially intelligent nanoarray sensor in the diagnosis and classification of 17 different diseases from breath samples of 1404 subjects, with 86% accuracy. The same system was able to detect LC in patients with lung nodules,8 detect response to therapy and early recurrence9 and further specify sub-histology of LC10 and even genetic mutation 11. Interestingly, Peng et al12 showed that this system was able to discriminate four types of primary cancers (lung, breast, colorectal and prostate).…”

Exhaled Breath Condensate as an Alternative Sample for Drug Monitoring

“…The levels of drugs in the blood, or its derived fluids, reflect the systemic levels of the analytes, and so these types of samples are widely accepted in the biomedical field. However, these samples possess a number of disadvantages, including: invasive sampling, the necessity for a skilled person to collect the sample, a very high matrix effect, patient-to-patient variability and a low compliance of the patients and/or sample donors.Exhaled breath (EB)/exhaled breath condensate (EBC) could be considered as a possible alternative sample type for drug monitoring purposes and also for the early detection/follow-up of disease through the monitoring appropriate biomarker levels [1] or the response to pharmacotherapy [2]. This editorial focuses on the advantages and disadvantages, as well as the recent findings, of the analysis of drugs in EBC.…”

“…Exhaled breath (EB)/exhaled breath condensate (EBC) could be considered as a possible alternative sample type for drug monitoring purposes and also for the early detection/follow-up of disease through the monitoring appropriate biomarker levels [1] or the response to pharmacotherapy [2]. This editorial focuses on the advantages and disadvantages, as well as the recent findings, of the analysis of drugs in EBC.…”