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Asthma Detection and Lung Cancer Screenings

In 1927, a Chicago chemist invented an early breathalyzer in which the breath moving through chemicals in water would change color. His target market wasn't law enforcement, but housewives -- to test whether their husbands had been drinking!

Today the contents of our exhalations can be teased out to reveal a variety of details about our physical conditions and not just our beverage choices.

At Deborah Heart and Lung Center, Chair of Pulmonary Medicine Dr. Andrew Martin and his team are piloting the use of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) measurement to support a diagnosis of asthma. Higher-than-normal levels of nitric oxide can be a biomarker for inflammation in the airways.

Deborah is also offering a screening tool that aims to detect lung cancer lesions at their earliest stages when the prognosis for successful treatment is most promising. At Deborah's Multi-Disciplinary Oncology Clinic, low-radiation-dose CAT scans are being used to screen for lung cancer in high-risk patients.

KYW's Rasa Kaye talks with Dr. Martin about these new diagnostic tools and the medical specialties that come together for comprehensive lung cancer care at Deborah.

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