| Scientists Develop Breath Test to Diagnose Gastric Cancer |
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| Thursday, 04 April 2024 14:31 |
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HAIFA, Israel/HEFEI, China: To date, endoscopy has been the standard method for diagnosing stomach cancer. However, researchers hope to provide a significantly less invasive and less expensive method with a new breath test. In a recent study, they found that a sensor was able to distinguish between different types of stomach cancer, as well as other specific gastric conditions. Using a nanomaterial-based sensor, the researchers analysed breath samples from 130 patients, who also underwent endoscopy and biopsy. Thirty-seven patients were diagnosed with gastric cancer, 32 with ulcers and 61 had less severe gastric conditions. The researchers said that the sensor had an over 90 per cent success rate at differentiating between stomach cancer and other benign conditions. In addition, it was more than 90 per cent accurate at detecting the differences between early- and late-stage gastric cancer. According to Prof. Hossam Haick, lead researcher and chemical engineer at the Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, about 7,000 people develop some form of stomach cancer each year in the UK alone. However, only one in five can undergo surgery, as most gastric cancers are diagnosed once too far advanced. “Any test that could help diagnose stomach cancer earlier would make a difference to patients’ long-term survival,” said Kate Law, director of clinical research at Cancer Research UK. |
