Breath analysis by IMS can detect a discriminating combination of VOCs in patients with lung cancer. By pattern recognition without the need for chemical analysis of the underlying VOCs, IMS has the potential to facilitate lung cancer diagnosis.

• Baumbach, J.I., Maddula, S., Sommerwerck, U., Besa, V., Kurth, I., Bödeker, B., Teschler, H., Freitag, L., Darwiche, K., Significant different volatile biomarker during bronchoscopic ion mobility spectrometry investigation of patients suffering lung carcinoma - Int. J. Ion Mobility Spectrom. 14 (2011).
• Darwiche, K.; Baumbach, J. I.; Sommerwerck, U.; Teschler, H.; Freitag, L., Bronchoscopically obtained Volatile Biomarkers in Lung Cancer - Lung (2011)
• Westhoff, M., Litterst, P., Freitag, L., Urfer, W., Bader, S. & Baumbach, J. I. Ion mobility spectrometry for the detection of volatile organic compounds in exhaled breath of patients with lung cancer: results of a pilot study. Thorax 64, 744-748, doi:10.1136/thx.2008.099465 (2009).
• Baumbach, J. I. & Westhoff, M. Ion mobility spectrometry to detect lung cancer and airway infections. Spectroscopy Europe 18, 22-27 (2006).