Metagenomic analysis of microbiomes in exhaled breath condensate from patients with non-small cell lung cancer

An increasing number of studies reveal differences in lung microbiota composition between healthy individuals and lung cancer patients. Dysbiosis contributes to lung carcinogenesis, but inconsistent findings and methodological challenges originating from different sampling methods, such as BALF or sputum, impede a comprehensive understanding of the lung microbiome. Our pilot study aimed to identify microorganisms in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) and compare their composition between lung cancer patients and healthy individuals. The study involved two patients (samples B47 and B91) with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and one healthy control (sample K3). Despite challenges with low bacterial biomass our study supports EBC as a non-invasive microbiome-based diagnostic tool for lung cancer.