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BAMOD<br />
Breath-Gas Analysis for Molecular-<br />
Oriented Detection of Minimal Diseases<br />
Summary<br />
Keywords | Exhaled breath analysis | lung cancer | oesophageal cancer | medical diagnosis | therapeutic monitoring |<br />
gas chromatography | mass spectrometry | PTR-MS | SIFT-MS | laser spectrometry | ion mobility spectrometry |<br />
<strong>Cancer</strong> is one of the leading causes of death in Europe and<br />
the western world. At present, diagnosis of cancer occurs<br />
late in the course of the disease since available diagnostic<br />
methods are not sufficiently sensitive and specific. An early<br />
diagnosis of cancer would improve prognosis and treatment,<br />
and could save thousands of lives a year.<br />
There is strong evidence to suggest that particulate cancers<br />
can be detected by a molecular analysis of exhaled air.<br />
Breath analysis represents a new diagnostic technique that<br />
is without risk for the patient, even if repeated frequently,<br />
and can provide information beyond conventional analysis<br />
of blood and urine. Recent results suggest that detection of<br />
diff erent kinds of cancer is possible by means of breath<br />
analysis in the very early stages of the disease.<br />
This project is focused on the diagnosis of minimal disease<br />
and early stages of lung and oesophageal cancer.<br />
The analytical techniques will be gas chromatography<br />
with mass spectrometric detection (GC-MS), proton transfer<br />
reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS), selected ion<br />
flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS), laser spectrometry<br />
and ion mobility spectrometry (IMS).<br />
In order to establish a reliable clinical method for the diagnosis<br />
of minimal residual cancer diseases, clinical expertise,<br />
basic research and technical development is necessary.<br />
The European consortium set up to pursue this research<br />
work involves specialists with skills in the fields of basic<br />
and clinical research, and analytical instrument development.<br />
Thus, the consortium has the expertise to investigate<br />
and screen exhaled breath for many molecular species, to<br />
identify specific cancer markers and the statistical tools<br />
to treat the data.<br />
Problem<br />
<strong>Cancer</strong> is one of the leading causes of death in the western<br />
world. More than 940 000 people died of lung cancer in<br />
Europe in the year 2000. These diseases have a tremendous<br />
impact on healthcare systems and economics. At present,<br />
the diagnosis of cancer often happens late in the course of<br />
the disease; early diagnosis would improve prognosis and<br />
treatment and could save thousands of lives.<br />
106 CANCER RESEARCH PROJECTS FUNDED UNDER THE SIXTH FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME<br />
Aim<br />
The objectives of the project are:<br />
• the identification of sensitive and specific molecular<br />
marker sets in human breath for the detection of early<br />
cancer stages;<br />
• the development of reliable analytical methods to detect<br />
these markers in the clinical environment;<br />
• the production of easy-to-use and non-expensive equipment<br />
to facilitate breath analysis as a novel cancer<br />
screening tool.<br />
The proposal is centred on five studies: in vivo lung cancer<br />
and oesophageal cancer studies, a study of cancer cell lines<br />
in vitro, a study of immune-system related cells and a study<br />
of bacterial cell lines.<br />
The SMEs in our consortium will develop analytical methodology<br />
for subsequent use in clinical applications.<br />
Expected results<br />
The major objective is the establishment of a non-invasive,<br />
breathbased test for early detection of lung and oesophageal<br />
cancer. The development of sensitive detection technology,<br />
a database of molecular markers related to cancer, and<br />
the development of specific sensors for such markers is<br />
anticipated.<br />
Potential applications<br />
The developed breath-based tests for the detection of lung<br />
and oesophageal cancer should be introduced to assist<br />
clinical diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring.