New Breath Test: Know If You Have Stomach Cancer Through A Simple Breath Test

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Cancer continues to affect millions across the globe and considered as one of the most dreaded diseases of all time.

Despite the medical advancements and latest technologies over the years, there is no absolute cure. The only hope is for it to be detected at an early stage so that the treatments can show result.

Fortunately, some good news were brought by a team of British researchers who have developed a breath test that can detect oesophageal and gastric (stomach) cancer in minutes with 90 percent accuracy, potentially saving lives by picking up the condition early.

Stomach cancer is a relatively rare condition. However, the outlook for patients is often poor, because the condition is so rarely diagnosed early enough for successful treatment.

How It Works:

The test looks for chemical compounds in exhaled breath that are unique to patients with oesophageal and gastric cancer.

Cancers produce a distinctive smell of volatile organic compounds (VOC), chemicals that contain carbon and are found in all living things, which can help doctors detect early signs of the disease.

To take the test, patients breathe into a device similar to a breathalyser which is connected to a bag. The compounds in their exhaled breath are analysed by a selected ion flow tube mass spectrometer.

The promising findings from this early study suggest that using a breath test to diagnose stomach cancers, as well as more benign complaints, could be a future alternative to endoscopies which can be costly and time consuming, as well as unpleasant to the patient.

Diagnosis at an early stage could give patients more treatment options and ultimately save more lives.