Cancer Gas Analyzer

A new test for the diagnosis of head and neck cancer by breathing has been developed

Tatiana Matveeva, "Scientific Russia"

Scientists from Flinders University (To find out if a patient is sick, it is enough to determine the composition of the air he exhales, according to a press release of the Promising breath-test for cancer. The researchers described their development in detail in the British Journal of Cancer (Dharmawardana et al., Development of a non-invasive exhaled breath test for the diagnosis of head and neck cancer).

Developing the test, Australian researchers collected exhaled air samples from 181 patients with suspected early-stage squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC). Using a mass spectrometer with an ion flow tube, the specialists analyzed the samples for volatile organic compounds. 

Statistical modeling helped them identify cancer patients and patients from the control group. The analysis showed that 66% of the participants had primary tumors at an early stage and 58% had metastases in regional lymph nodes. The average sensitivity of the test was 85%. The diagnosis was confirmed by analyzing tissue biopsies (materials obtained by biopsy). The new method has yet to be finalized, but the authors call it promising.

As noted in the press release, head and neck cancer accounts for six percent of all oncological diseases, this disease claims the lives of more than 300,000 people a year worldwide. Tobacco, alcohol and poor oral hygiene are known major risk factors for the development of this cancer.

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