Development of a non-invasive exhaled breath test for the diagnosis of head and neck cancer

Development of a non-invasive exhaled breath test for the diagnosis of head and neck cancer:

British Journal of Cancer, Published online: 09 September 2020; doi:10.1038/s41416-020-01051-9

Development of a non-invasive exhaled breath test for the diagnosis of head and neck cancer







Nuwan Dharmawardana,
Thomas Goddard,
Charmaine Woods,
David I. Watson,
Eng H. Ooi &
Roger Yazbeck

British Journal of Cancer (2020)Cite this article



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Abstract

Background

Improving the ability to identify early-stage head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) can improve treatment outcomes and patient morbidity. We sought to determine the diagnostic accuracy of breath analysis as a non-invasive test for detecting HNSCC.
Methods

Standardised breath samples were collected from 181 patients suspected of HNSCC prior to any treatment. A selected ion flow-tube mass spectrometer was used to analyse breath for volatile organic compounds. Diagnosis was confirmed by histopathology. A binomial logistic regression model was used to differentiate breath profiles between cancer and control (benign disease) patients based on mass spectrometry derived variables.
Results

In all, 66% of participants had early-stage primary tumours (T1 and T2) and 58% had regional node metastasis. The optimised logistic regression model using three variables had a sensitivity and specificity of 80% and 86%, respectively, with an AUC for ROC curve of 0.821 (95%CI 0.625–1.0) in the testing cohort.
Conclusions

Breath analysis for non-invasive diagnosis of HNSCC appears to be practical and accurate. Future studies should be conducted in a primary care setting to determine the applicability of breath analysis for early identification of HNSCC.