A Study Measuring Markers of Airway Inflammation in Breath Samples From People With Respiratory Diseases and Healthy Volunteers.

NCT07426718 | Recruiting DMC

• 1 other identifier: 25/SC/0392
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 140
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related death in the UK, with over 35,000 deaths annually and most cases diagnosed at a late stage. Current screening programmes using low-dose CT scans target only high-risk individuals, missing around 30% of lung cancer cases, including many women and never-smokers. There is no simple, non-invasive tool to help triage patients with persistent respiratory symptoms who fall outside formal screening criteria. Inflammacheck® measures hydrogen peroxide and other breath biomarkers linked to airway inflammation and oxidative stress. Preliminary studies (VICTORY and ExPeL) have shown strong diagnostic performance for distinguishing lung cancer from other respiratory conditions. VICTORY 2 aims to validate and refine the AI model supporting Inflammacheck®, enabling accurate, rapid, and affordable triage for suspected lung cancer in NHS settings.

Conditions

Lung Cancer (Diagnosis); Lung Cancer (Suspected or Confirmed); Healthy; Pneumonia

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Refine an AI-based diagnostic model

  To develop and refine an AI-based diagnostic model using Inflammacheck® breath biomarker data from a diversified cohort to reliably distinguish participants with lung cancer from those with non-malignant respiratory conditions and healthy controls. Primary Endpoint: An AI model with diagnostic performance (Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (AUROC) target value of ≥0.80) that discriminates lung cancer from non-malignant respiratory conditions and healthy controls.

  From first participant enrollment through study completion (anticipated 30 December 2026).

Study Arms (4)

Healthy

12 healthy controls

Other: No intervention

Lung cancer

11 people with lung cancer (all stages)

Other: No intervention

Suspected lung cancer

71 people with suspected lung cancer (but a negative biopsy)

Other: No intervention

Pneumonia

• 46 people with pneumonia

Other: No intervention

Interventions

No intervention OTHER

This is a multi-centre, mixed retrospective-prospective observational study with no intervention or randomisation. The study involves data analysis and AI model development based on exhaled breath measurements, demographic data, and clinical diagnosis.

Healthy; Lung cancer; Pneumonia; Suspected lung cancer

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Eligible patients will be identified by members of the clinical or research team during attendance at relevant hospital or community clinics, including: * Suspected lung cancer clinics and respiratory outpatient services * CT imaging lists for patients awaiting percutaneous CT lung biopsy * Inpatient wards with respiratory or pneumonia admissions; and * Community diagnostic hubs or screening services such as Total Lung Health Check.

You may qualify if:

• \- 1. Age: Adults aged ≥18 years. 2. Consent: Willing and able to provide written informed consent (prospective participants only).
• \. Clinical status: Belong to one of the defined diagnostic categories listed below:
• Group A: Lung cancer confirmed by multidisciplinary team (MDT) diagnosis.
• Group B: Suspected lung cancer (biopsy negative or awaiting further investigation).
• Group C: Pneumonia (radiologically or clinically confirmed).
• Group D: Non-malignant airways diseases (asthma or COPD).
• Group E: Other non-malignant respiratory diseases (interstitial lung disease, bronchiectasis, breathing pattern disorder).
• Group F: Healthy controls with no known respiratory disease. 4. Clinical documentation: Availability of relevant diagnostic and demographic data to confirm disease classification (for retrospective participants).
• \. Previous participation: Individuals previously enrolled in the VICTORY or ExPeL studies may be included for retrospective data integration.
• \. Willing and able to perform a breath test using the Inflammacheck® device. 7. Willing to allow access to relevant clinical data and imaging results 8. Be able to understand and communicate in English with or without the need for a translator, to ensure informed consent and comprehension of study procedures

You may not qualify if:

• \. Active respiratory infection (e.g., tuberculosis, bronchopneumonia) other than pneumonia (e.g., tuberculosis) at the time of breath sampling.
• \. History of major thoracic surgery or lung resection within the previous six months.
• \. Current or recent chemotherapy or radiotherapy for lung cancer at the time of breath sampling (except for retrospective confirmed cancer cases where data were collected pre-treatment).
• \. Severe cognitive impairment, communication barriers, or any condition preventing informed consent or compliance with study procedures.
• \. Pregnancy or breastfeeding. 6. Active use of cannabis or recreational drugs known to alter exhaled breath composition.
• \. Any condition that, in the opinion of the investigator, could compromise participant safety or the integrity of the data.
• \. Unable or unwilling to provide informed consent. 11. Unable to complete the breath test due to physical or cognitive limitations.
• \. Currently participating in another interventional clinical trial that may confound breath biomarker data.
• \. Received systemic treatment for lung cancer prior to breath sampling (for the lung cancer group only).
• \. History of any active cancer within the past 12 months (excluding basal cell carcinoma of the skin or cervical carcinoma in situ), except for those in the confirmed lung cancer group.
• \. They have any active respiratory infection other than pneumonia (e.g., tuberculosis) at the time of breath sampling.
• \. They have undergone a bronchoscopy or invasive respiratory procedure within the past 48 hours, due to the potential for artefacts in breath data.
• \. Pneumonia with concurrent lung cancer, thoracic malignancy or lung fibrosis. Pneumonia with co-existent asthma or COPD can be included at discretion of the PI.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust: lead

Study Sites (1)

Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust

Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO6 3LY, United Kingdom

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Lung Neoplasms; Disease; Pneumonia

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Respiratory Tract Neoplasms; Thoracic Neoplasms; Neoplasms by Site; Neoplasms; Lung Diseases; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Pathologic Processes; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Respiratory Tract Infections; Infections

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: OTHER
• Time Perspective: OTHER
• Sponsor Type: OTHER GOV
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 16, 2026
• First Posted: February 23, 2026
• Study Start: March 5, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): September 30, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 30, 2026
• Last Updated: May 8, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-05

Locations

GB (1)