Breath testing as potential colorectal cancer screening tool

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Biochemistry
• Medical Diagnostics

Background:

• Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening is crucial but requires improved noninvasive methods.
• Current screening tools have limitations in accessibility and patient compliance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of breath volatile organic compound (VOC) analysis as a noninvasive screening tool for colorectal cancer (CRC).
• To compare gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and sensor-based breath analysis for identifying CRC and adenoma patients.

Main Methods:

• Collected breath samples from 65 CRC patients, 22 adenoma patients, and 122 controls.
• Analyzed samples using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to identify VOCs.
• Employed sensor analysis with pattern recognition for breath pattern classification and validation using blind analysis.

Main Results:

• GC-MS identified four significant VOCs differentiating groups: acetone and ethyl acetate (higher in CRC), ethanol and 4-methyl octane (lower in CRC).
• Sensor analysis achieved 85% sensitivity, 94% specificity, and 91% accuracy in distinguishing CRC from controls.
• Sensor analysis demonstrated high accuracy in differentiating adenoma stages and CRC from controls.

Conclusions:

• Breath volatile marker testing using sensor analysis is a promising noninvasive approach for colorectal cancer screening.
• This method shows potential for early detection and differentiation of precancerous lesions.