Spanish researchers have identified two volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the breath of patients with head and neck cancers (HNCs), according to a new study in Chromatographia (March 2014, Vol. 77:5-6, pp. 501-509).
Nearly half a million new cases are detected worldwide, mainly due to tobacco and alcohol use, and approximately 90% are laryngeal cancer, according to an article by the Information and Scientific News Service (SINC).
Using a combination of solid-phase microextraction, gas chromatography, and mass spectrometry, researchers from the Rey Juan Carlos University (URJC) and AlcorcĂłn Hospital analyzed the breath of 11 patients with epidermoid supraglottic laryngeal cancer and 20 healthy subjects. The researchers then compared the VOCs detected in the breath of the cancer patients with those detected in the breath of the healthy subjects, half of whom were smokers.
The breath of the cancer patients contained different concentrations of seven VOCs, out of thousands that were detected. The study found two compounds were particularly concentrated -- ethanol and 2-butanone -- especially in cancer patients with more advanced stages of the disease.
Lead researcher Rafael GarcĂa, PhD, a professor of chemical engineering at the URJC, said the preliminary study could also help identify biomarkers for lung cancer, where early detection is important.
Garcia wants to develop an electronic nose that utilizes VOC biomarkers for the early detection of these diseases and could be used in hospitals and health centers.
Researchers from Switzerland and Japan also have developed an artificial nose that is sensitive enough to diagnose HNC through breath analysis. An array of functionalized membrane-type surface stress sensors distinguishes people with cancer through a signature response to breath samples.
