Color test checks breath for lung cancer

Scientists at the Cleveland Clinic have created a color test which reads chemical changes in the breath of people with lung cancer.

The sensor, which is just larger than a quarter, has a series of colored dots that change hue when they come into contact with chemicals found only in the breath of those who are afflicted. Researchers say the test, which accurately detected cancer in nearly three out of four people with the disease, is cheap and easy to use, and easy to read.

Because, currently, physicians have to "rely on people coming forward with symptoms," or spot the disease in a "chest x-ray picked up purely by chance," the disease is often discovered after it's too late. Doctors hope the new sensor can detect lung cancer much earlier, giving patients a significantly stronger chance of survival.