Dec 7, 2012

A Breath Test For Detecting Cancer? | over 75% accuracy

TIME.com.... the British Journal of Surgery, researchers from the the University Aldo Moro of Bari in Italy found a profile of breath-based chemicals that are linked to colorectal cancer. The scientists collected exhaled breath from 37 patients with colorectal cancer and 41 healthy control participants, and evaluated them for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that could be red flags for cancer. According to the researchers, cancer tissues operate differently compared to non-cancerous cells and may release a distinct chemical signature.

Indeed, the researchers identified 15 of 58 specific compounds in VOC that correlated with colorectal cancer, and were able to distinguish with over 75% accuracy which patients had cancer and which were healthy. Among the cancer patients, the team correctly identified 19 as having colorectal tumors.

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