Electrochemical breath profiling for early thoracic malignancy screening

Lung cancer remains a leading cause of cancer death globally and affects millions of lives across the globe. Early detection of lung cancer significantly improves survival rates. Screening with low-dose CT scans for high-risk individuals can lead to earlier diagnosis and better treatment outcomes. Breathomics is the systematic analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled breath to diagnose diseases and monitor health conditions. This research presents a novel electrochemical biosensor that detects eight VOCs in breath using room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) technology. The device was tested with 67 patient samples, including 30 with confirmed intrathoracic malignancies. Using lightweight deep neural networks optimized for edge devices, the system effectively distinguished between positive and negative cases. The results were validated using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. As lung cancer significantly impacts public health, this work represents an important step toward developing affordable, quick, and non-invasive breath analysis for cancer screening. While further clinical validation is needed, this research aims to advance the field of breathomics. • Lung cancer remains a leading cause of cancer death globally and early detection significantly improves survival rates. • Breathomics is the systematic analysis of VOCs in exhaled breath to diagnose diseases and monitor health conditions. • 8 VOC biomarkers are identified as analytes for intrathoracic malignancy stages. • An electrochemical device has been tested with 67 patient samples, including 30 with confirmed intrathoracic malignancies. • Amperometric detection strategy is applied, validated by standard benchtop TD-GC–MS. • Deep learning models are used to train the system to effectively distinguish between positive and negative cases.