Analysis of exhaled breath for diagnosing head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: a feasibility study

作者：Gruber M; Tisch U; Jeries R; Amal H; Hakim M; Ronen O; Marshak T; Zimmerman D; Israel O; Amiga E; Doweck I^*; Haick H

来源：British Journal of Cancer, 2014, 111(4): 790-798.

DOI：10.1038/bjc.2014.361

• head and neck cancer
• diagnosis
• staging
• volatile organic compound
• breath
• sensor
• nanotechnology
• GC-MS

Background: Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC) are wide-spread cancers that often lead to disfigurement and loss of important functions such as speech and ingestion. To date, HNSCC has no adequate method for early detection and screening.
Methods: Exhaled breath samples were collected from 87 volunteers; 62 well-defined breath samples from 22 HNSCC patients (larynx and pharynx), 21 patients with benign tumours (larynx and pharynx) and 19 healthy controls were analysed in a dual approach: (i) chemical analysis using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and (ii) breath-print analysis using an array of nanomaterial-based sensors, combined with a statistical algorithm.
Results: Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry identified ethanol, 2-propenenitrile and undecane as potential markers for HNSCC and/or benign tumours of the head and neck. The sensor-array-based breath-prints could clearly distinguish HNSCC both from benign tumours and from healthy states. Within the HNSCC group, patients could be classified according to tumour site and stage.
Conclusions: We have demonstrated the feasibility of a breath test for a specific, clinically interesting application: distinguishing HNSCC from tumour-free or benign tumour states, as well as for staging and locating HNSCC. The sensor array used here could form the basis for the development of an urgently needed non-invasive, cost-effective, fast and reliable point-of-care diagnostic/screening tool for HNSCC.

• 出版日期2014-8-12