A quick and easy breath test to detect the difficult-to-diagnose pancreatic cancer is being trialed nationally in the UK with huge expectations.
Pancreatic cancer has a high mortality rate among cancers because of the tendency to discover it at later stages.
There has never been a breath test authorized by a major regulatory body like the British NIH or US Food and Drug Administration, but the initiative has far bigger aspirations than simply setting milestones.
An analysis of pancreatic cancer across the UK found that over 60% of cases are detected at stage 4. At this point, there’s not much to be done, and indeed, the same analysis found only 22% of patients diagnosed at this stage survive even a month beyond it.
It’s difficult to diagnose in part because it manifests in vague symptoms like backpain and indigestion.
Imperial College London and Pancreatic Cancer UK are teaming up to launch a major trial of a new breath testing device in 40 different locations across the Scotland, Wales, and England, with a target for 6,000 patients. The breath test will detect volatile organic compounds, or VOCs that are linked with pancreatic cancer; even in early stages.
Thousands of these VOCs travel around the bloodstream and can be expelled in a single breath. An analysis of the entire collection can pinpoint to cancer from other potential infections.
CANCER TESTING IMPROVEMENTS:
“The breath test has the potential to revolutionize the early detection of pancreatic cancer. It is, undoubtedly, the most significant step toward a lifesaving breakthrough in 50 years,” said Diana Jupp, chief executive of Pancreatic Cancer UK which is funding the study.
“While more years of development are still needed before we can put this exciting new technology into the hands of GPs across the country, thousands of patients with an unknown diagnosis will now help refine it in the real-world.”
“This is the first pancreatic cancer breath test to ever reach a national clinical trial of this scale. That in itself makes this a moment of real, tangible hope.”
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