New breath test for cancer currently under trial
A clinical trial has just launched to assess the effectiveness of a newly developed breath test that could help diagnose multiple forms of cancer.
Researchers from the Cancer Research United Kingdom Cambridge Institute have recently developed an innovative breath test.
They say that it will assist in the diagnosis of several types of cancer.
The new noninvasive test, created with the support of Owlstone Medical, screens for the presence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
These are signature molecules in a person's breath that could help identify cancer at any stage.
This approach could help identify the presence of cancer early on, thus allowing people to access treatment immediately and enhancing the probability of positive health outcomes.
The new breath test, called Owlstone Medical's Breath Biopsy, is being assessed in a clinical trial called the PAN Cancer Trial for Early Detection of Cancer in Breath.
According to lead investigator Prof. Rebecca Fitzgerald, "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," she adds.
"Owlstone Medical's Breath Biopsy technology is the first to test across multiple cancer types, potentially paving the way for a universal breath test," explains Prof. Fitzgerald.
