UK scientists test breathalyser for detecting early cancers

[nitpicker]

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jan/03/uk-scientists-test-breathalyser-for-detecting-early-cancers

UK scientists test breathalyser for detecting early cancers

Major study at Addenbrooke’s hospital could lead to cancer detectors in GPs’ surgeries

Press Association

Thu 3 Jan 2019 00.01 GMT

A breathalyser test that could revolutionise cancer diagnosis is being tested in the UK. The Breath Biopsy device is designed to detect cancer hallmarks in molecules exhaled by patients. Scientists hope it will lead to a simpler, cheaper method of spotting cancers early. The breathalyser has the potential to save thousands of lives and millions of pounds in healthcare costs, its developers have claimed.

The two-year trial, taking place at Addenbrooke’s hospital in Cambridge, is recruiting 1,500 participants, including healthy individuals as well as cancer patients. Initially, patients with suspected oesophageal and stomach cancers will be asked to try the test. Later it will be extended to include prostate, kidney, bladder, liver and pancreatic cancers.

The lead investigator, Prof Rebecca Fitzgerald of the Cancer Research UK (CRUK) Cambridge Centre, said: “We urgently need to develop new tools, like this breath test, which could help to detect and diagnose cancer earlier, giving patients the best chance of surviving their disease. “Through this clinical trial we hope to find signatures in breath needed to detect cancers earlier. It’s the crucial next step in developing this technology.”
(snip)

Participants will be asked to breathe into the cancer breathalyser for 10 minutes. Airborne molecules called volatile organic compounds (VOCs) collected by the test will then be sent to a laboratory in Cambridge for analysis. As part of their normal metabolic processes, cells in the body produce a range of VOCs as part of their normal metabolic processes. The molecules find their way into the lungs and emerge in the breath. The idea behind the test is that cancer can cause recognisable alterations in the pattern of VOCs.
(snip)

[hedda_foil]

1. Wow! Let's hold it works.

[ROB-ROX]

2. TWO PART TEST

Collect the sample then analyze the sample. I have collected many air, liquid, and solid samples which were checked for hazardous chemicals. It is easy to look for special Volatile Organic Chemicals. (VOC.) One sample can be checked for hundreds of chemicals each time......So check 10 samples can result in checking for 1,000 chemicals. Getting people to breath into a sampler (activated charcoal?) for 10 minutes would be interesting......I remember in the late 70's working with people doing sample sorting with lasers when it was "state of the art." Today it is ROUTINE......