Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2016 Oct;102(4):1095-100.
doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2016.04.068. Epub 2016 Jun 9.

Normalization of Exhaled Carbonyl Compounds After Lung Cancer Resection

Affiliations

Normalization of Exhaled Carbonyl Compounds After Lung Cancer Resection

Erin M Schumer et al. Ann Thorac Surg. 2016 Oct.

Abstract

Background: Quantitative analysis of specific exhaled carbonyl compounds (ECCs) has shown promise for the detection of lung cancer. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the normalization of ECCs in patients after lung cancer resection.

Methods: Patients from a single center gave consent and were enrolled in the study from 2011 onward. Breath analysis was performed on lung cancer patients before and after surgical resection of their tumors. One liter of breath from a single exhalation was collected and evacuated over a silicon microchip. Carbonyls were captured by oximation reaction and analyzed by mass spectrometry. Concentrations of four cancer-specific ECCs were measured and compared by using the Wilcoxon test. A given cancer marker was considered elevated at 1.5 or more standard deviations greater than the mean of the control population.

Results: There were 34 cancer patients with paired samples and 187 control subjects. The median values after resection were significantly lower for all four ECCs and were equivalent to the control patient values for three of the four ECCs.

Conclusions: The analysis of ECCs demonstrates reduction to the level of control patients after surgical resection for lung cancer. This technology has the potential to be a useful tool to detect disease after lung cancer resection. Continued follow-up will determine whether subsequent elevation of ECCs is indicative of recurrent disease.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1
Median concentrations for carbonyl compounds before and after resection in patients who underwent lung transplantation compared with median control values. Error bars represent 95% confidence interval. Concentrations are in nmol/L. *p < 0.05. (4-HHE = 4-hydroxyhexanal.)
Fig 2
Fig 2
Values for 2-butanone, 3-hydroxy-2-butanone, 2-hydroxyacetaldehyde, and 4-hydroxyhexanal (4-HHE) before and after resection when the value before resection is elevated. The dashed line is the threshold for an elevated carbonyl compound. Concentrations are in nmol/L.

Similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Siegel R.L., Miller K.D., Jemal A. Cancer statistics, 2015. CA Cancer J Clin. 2015;65:5–29. - PubMed
    1. Chen V.W., Ruiz B.A., Hsieh M.C., Wu X.C., Ries L.A., Lewis D.R. Analysis of stage and clinical/prognostic factors for lung cancer from SEER registries: AJCC staging and collaborative stage data collection system. Cancer. 2014;120(Suppl 23):3781–3792. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Castle P.E. PSA testing for prostate cancer screening. Lancet Oncol. 2015;16:e2–e3. - PubMed
    1. Edwards B.K., Ward E., Kohler B.A. Annual report to the nation on the status of cancer, 1975-2006, featuring colorectal cancer trends and impact of interventions (risk factors, screening, and treatment) to reduce future rates. Cancer. 2010;116:544–573. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Oken M.M., Hocking W.G., Kvale P.A. Screening by chest radiograph and lung cancer mortality: the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) randomized trial. JAMA. 2011;306:1865–1873. - PubMed

MeSH terms