Exploratory Study on the Identification of Benign and Malignant Pulmonary Nodules Using Volatile Organic Compounds in Human Exhaled Breath
The goal of this observational study is to develop an advanced expiratory algorithm model utilizing exhaled breath volatile organic compound (VOC) markers. This model aims to accurately differentiate benign from malignant nodules in individuals harboring pulmonary nodules. The primary objectives it strives to accomplish are: 1. To assess the diagnostic accuracy of an exhaled breath VOC-assisted diagnostic artificial intelligence (AI) model in distinguishing benign and malignant pulmonary nodules. 2. To evaluate the diagnostic effectiveness of an AI model that employs exhaled breath VOC biomakers to identify specific types of malignant nodules, including lung adenocarcinoma, lung squamous cell carcinoma, and small cell lung cancer. 3. To explore and identify key characteristic VOCs combinations that are associated with EGFR site mutations in malignant nodules, further modeling and evaluating the classification performance. By utilizing this comprehensive approach, the study hopes to contribute significantly to early detection and accurate classification of pulmonary nodules, ultimately leading to improved patient care and treatment outcomes.
• 18-80 years old;
• Pulmonary nodules were detected through low-dose spiral CT, chest CT conventional scan, or high-resolution thin-layer CT examination, with a maximum diameter of 5-30 mm, including solid nodules and ground glass nodules;
• Patients require pulmonary nodule resection to define the type of nodule pathology;
• The Patients have not yet used any drugs for tumor treatment;
• Patients and/or family members are able to understand the research protocol and are willing to participate in this study, providing written informed consent.