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Cancer detected by breath test

Posted at 6:53 PM, Jun 19, 2012
and last updated 2012-06-19 18:53:52-04

(WTVR) - The equipment looks like a computer with a hose attached.

You breathe in and out of the hose for about five minutes.

 Your breath passes across more than a hundred sensors that detect different chemicals.

 “The goal is to see if we can come up with a certain pattern of chemicals in your breath that says you're at a high likelihood of having cancer or that says you do have cancer.”

Since 80 percent of lung cancer patients are diagnosed in advanced stage of the disease the earlier it can be detected the higher chance of survival.

The breath test is easy and will be inexpensive.

Researchers say, the study will still take a few more years and sensors still need to be tweaked to make sure they can get an accurate diagnosis.