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

ABSTRACT:

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-propenenitril

SUBMITTER: Gruber M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4134502 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature