SCIENTISTS in Scotland have developed a "breathalyser" that can detect early signs of lung cancer.
The hyper-sensitive machine, dubbed a "laser nose", detects tiny traces of ethane in the breath, using technology originally designed for oil prospecting.
It has been tested on around 100 patients at Glasgow Royal Infirmary and Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, over the past year in the first phase of a two-year research project.
Researchers at the universities of Glasgow and Dundee now hope to refine the breathalyser during a second trial period at the two hospitals before applying for follow-up funding, but emphasise that it is still in its prototype stage.
Experts say the machine could act as an early-warning system for lung cancer, which can lurk in the body for 20 years before symptoms emerge ? by which time it is often too late to treat. Only 5% of sufferers survive five years after diagnosis, and the disease currently kills 30,000 people each year.
Dr Chris Longbottom, who is working on the project at Dundee University, said: "Using the laser nose we may be able to pick up signs of cancer much earlier, because by the time symptoms appear it is quite late in the development and the majority of people have a serious condition and there is not a great outlook.
"With this device we are trying to catch it early, as earlier intervention might be effective."
Patients use the device by breathing down a tube into a bag, where a tiny laser beam detects ethane, produced when lung cancer breaks down cells in the body.
The reading feeds back to a computer immediately, sparing patients an agonising wait for results to come back from a laboratory.
Researchers have adapted technology used by oil prospectors to sniff out oil, as underground deposits give off similar levels of ethane gas.
Dr Kenneth Skeldon, of Glasgow University, said: "People can produce a higher trace of ethane in their breath when cancer strikes. It turns out that the amounts involved are similar to those given off by an oil reservoir.
"Our technology was first developed with that area in mind, but now we are sniffing out human ethane using advanced laser technology."
The research has the backing of the British Medical Council and is being conducted jointly with BOC Scientific, which is providing the pure gases and ultra-clean pumps needed to make the device work.
Nick Ward, business manager for BOC Scientific, said: "Patients could have an immediate answer on their condition, ending the agonising wait for normal cancer test results. We believe this technology could soon find its way into hospitals, where it will be put to real use helping medical diagnosis."
Meanwhile, anti-smoking campaigners are calling for tougher action to crack down on passive smoking after three new reports revealed damning new evidence of its dangers.
A study published on BMJ.com found a 15% higher risk of death among non-smokers who lived with a smoker, compared to those living in a smoke-free household. The study was based on the 1981 and 1996 censuses in New Zealand, among those aged 45 to 74.
Another study by researchers at the University of California, also published on BMJ.com, found that admissions to hospital for heart attack fell by 40% during a six-month ban on smoking in public and work places in the town of Helena. There was no significant drop in admissions for people living outside the town.
Further research in California, published in the journal BMC Cell Biology, looked at the effect of second-hand smoke on the healing of wounds. Scientists found that exposure to smoke influenced the speed at which cells heal and increased levels of scarring.
Deborah Arnott, director of anti-smoking campaigners ASH, described the research as "three vital pieces of evidence on the need for tough action against second-hand smoke".

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