Stomach cancer, also known as gastric cancer, is a type of cancer that originates in the lining of the stomach.

According to the World Health Organization, stomach cancer is the second most common cancer in the world, with over 1 million new cases diagnosed every year. In its early stages, stomach cancer may present with few or no symptoms, making it difficult to detect. However, scientists may have found a new way to predict stomach cancer with a simple breathing test.

The Study

A recent study published in the journal Cancer Biomarkers Research found that a breath test could accurately detect stomach cancer.

The study, led by Professor Hossam Haick of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, involved 484 participants, including 99 stomach cancer patients and 385 control subjects. Participants were asked to exhale into a special device that analyzed the chemical compounds in their breath.

How It Works

The breath test works by detecting volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the breath that are released by cancer cells. Cancer cells produce a unique set of VOCs that can differentiate them from healthy cells.

The breath test is non-invasive and can be easily administered in a doctor’s office. In addition, the test is relatively inexpensive and does not expose patients to ionizing radiation, which is a concern with other diagnostic imaging tests, such as CT scans.

Accuracy

The breath test was found to be highly accurate in identifying patients with stomach cancer.

The researchers reported a sensitivity of 92% and a specificity of 90%, meaning that the test correctly identified 92% of stomach cancer cases and wrongly identified only 10% of healthy control subjects as having cancer. The test accuracy was not affected by factors such as gender, age, smoking history, or the cancer stage.

Advantages over Current Diagnostic Methods

Currently, the most common method for diagnosing stomach cancer is a biopsy, which involves removing a small sample of tissue from the stomach and examining it under a microscope.

Biopsies are invasive and can be uncomfortable, and they may miss cancer cells if the tumor is not easily accessible. In addition, biopsies can take several days to process, delaying diagnosis and treatment. Other diagnostic tests for stomach cancer include endoscopy, CT scans, and blood tests.

However, these tests are often expensive, time-consuming, and may expose patients to ionizing radiation.

Future Applications

If validated in larger studies, the breath test could have important implications for the early detection and treatment of stomach cancer.

Early detection is key in improving cancer survival rates, as it allows for earlier treatment and potentially better outcomes. The breath test could also be used to monitor patients who have already been diagnosed with stomach cancer, to track treatment response and detect cancer recurrence.

Conclusion

The breath test for stomach cancer represents a promising new diagnostic tool that could improve early cancer detection and treatment. The test is non-invasive, inexpensive, and highly accurate in identifying patients with stomach cancer.

Although further research is needed to validate the test in larger populations, the preliminary findings are encouraging and suggest that the breath test could be a game-changer in the fight against stomach cancer.