The Breast Health Research Unit (BHRU) at IWK Health has joined a research study to investigate the potential of a breath test for early detection of breast cancer.
The researchers at the BHRU, run by co-directors Dr. Gregory Knapp and Dr. Ashley Drohan, are working with Breathe BioMedical, a New Brunswick company developing a breath analytics platform for early disease detection. IWK Health is the second Canadian site to join the study; it is being co-led in Halifax by Dr. Knapp and Dr. Zina Kellow.
Researchers will compare the breath profiles of people with breast cancer and those without breast cancer, with the goal of identifying disease-specific patterns that can be used to aid in breast cancer detection.
“This study allows us to contribute high-quality data from a Nova Scotian population to a question that matters to every patient I see in clinic: whether a simple, non-invasive test can complement existing approaches to help us detect breast cancer sooner, particularly in women with dense breasts,” said Dr. Knapp, Co-Director of the BHRU. “We don’t yet know if this technology works, but we need to ask the questions and we need to be at the cutting-edge of breast cancer research.”
Dr. Knapp is also a Surgical Oncologist in the Breast Health Program at IWK Health and Assistant Professor of Surgery at Dalhousie University. Dr. Kellow is a Breast Radiologist, Assistant Professor of Radiology at Dalhousie University and Co-Director of Education for the Canadian Society of Breast Imaging.
“Mammography remains the standard in Nova Scotia for breast cancer screening in the average risk population. Research into additional approaches that may one day supplement current screening recommendations, using Canadian generated data, may allow us to offer more options for enhanced screening options in the future. I am pleased that women in Nova Scotia will be contributing to furthering our knowledge in this field,” said Dr. Kellow.
The Breast Health Research Unit was established in 2025 through a generous donation from Maritime donors to the IWK Foundation. This critical support helps accelerate IWK researchers’ ability to conduct innovative research and seek out groundbreaking partnerships – like the one with Breathe BioMedical – that have the potential to significantly impact women’s health in the Maritimes and around the world.
Health and Wellness Minister Michelle Thompson said she’s pleased to see IWK Health participating in this research.
“We know new ideas and innovation are the future of healthcare,” said Minister Thompson. “For too long, women have been underrepresented in medical research. This study helps close that gap while advancing an innovative approach to earlier breast cancer detection. Building more research capacity in the province – especially in women’s health – is a goal of the government and will improve care for women.”
This research is exploring whether breath analysis could have a future role as a complementary tool alongside mammography.
The clinical research study aims to enroll select women between the ages of 40-74 with no prior breast cancer history who will be undergoing a standard of care breast biopsy or MRI at the IWK hospital site on University Ave. Individuals who meet this criterion will be invited to take part in the study.
“As we expand our clinical study with new partners, we are accelerating the collection of reliable data to advance our technology,” says Bill Dawes, President and CEO of Breathe BioMedical. “We look forward to working with Dr. Knapp and Dr. Kellow to help develop better early detection options for women.”