Lung cancer remains the most common cancer globally and the leading cause of cancer-related mortality. While smoking-related lung cancer has declined as smoking rates have decreased in countries such as the US and the UK, a concerning trend is emerging: the number of lung cancer cases among never-smokers is rising, particularly among women.

This development underscores the urgent need for early detection methods, especially for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) adenocarcinoma, which accounts for up to 70% of lung cancer cases in never-smokers and often originates in the small airways of the lungs.

A promising advancement in this field is PExA’s non-invasive breath sampling technology. This method allows researchers to collect microscopic particles from the small airways and analyze them to gain valuable insights into lung health. This has the potential to enable earlier and more precise NSCLC detection. Uniquely, PExA’s technology samples from the exact lung region where NSCLC adenocarcinoma originates, opening new possibilities for improved diagnostics and treatment.

Tomas Gustafsson, CEO of PExA, comments:

On World Cancer Day, it is important to acknowledge the changing landscape of lung cancer. NSCLC adenocarcinoma develops more slowly than other types of lung cancer, creating a unique opportunity to detect the disease before it becomes incurable. However, achieving this requires better and more sensitive screening methods. This is where advanced diagnostic tools like PExA may play a crucial role in the future.
PExA’s technology is already being used in multiple lung cancer studies, potentially contributing to advancements in early detection, treatment, and follow-up of lung cancer.