As commonly known in the biomedical community, genetic and epigenetic alterations are regarded as biomarkers for cancer detection, while some scientist looked for new candidates to indentify cancer, such as breath temperature, saliva, and smell.

Breath temperature test could identify lung cancer

A novel study, from the European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress in Munich,

shows that testing the temperature of breath could be a simple and noninvasive method to diagnose patients with lung cancer.

Researchers enrolled 82 people in the study who had been referred for a full diagnostic test after an x-ray suggested the presence of lung cancer. They found that patients with lung cancer had a higher breath temperature than those without. Also, They identified a cut-off value in the measurement of temperature, which they proved could identify lung cancer with a high level of accuracy.

The results suggest that lung cancer causes an increase in the exhaled temperature. This is a significant finding and could change the way clinicians currently diagnose the disease. If scientists able to refine a test to diagnose lung cancer by measuring breath temperature, they will improve the diagnostic process by providing patients with a simple and cheap test.