Wow, what an important discovery: Sniffing out cancer via blood samples. Although testing still has a ways to go, early results look promising. This continues the positive news we share. For example, see Good News About a New Lung Cancer Drug. As well as Good News About a New Breast Cancer Drug.
Using an Electronic Nose: Sniffing Out Cancer Via Blood Samples
This discussion may sound like science fiction. But, it is true! Despite some hiccups, cancer research is gaining ground.
As posted by Steve Graff at Futurity:
An odor-based test that sniffs out vapors emanating from blood samples distinguished between benign and pancreatic and ovarian cancer cells. With up to 95% accuracy, according to a new study. The findings suggest that the tool — which uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to decipher the mixture of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitting off cells in blood plasma samples — could serve as a noninvasive approach to screen for harder-to-detect cancers. Such as pancreatic and ovarian.
“It’s an early study but the results are very promising,” says A.T. Charlie Johnson, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania. “The data show we can identify these tumors at both advanced and the earliest stages. Which is exciting. If developed appropriately for the clinical setting,. This could potentially be a test that’s done on a standard blood draw as part of your annual physical.”
The electronic olfaction — ”e-nose” — system comes equipped with nanosensors. Calibrated to detect the composition of VOCs. Which all cells emanate. Previous studies from the researchers show VOCs released from tissue and plasma from ovarian cancer patients act distinctly from those of samples of patients with benign tumors.
The study involved 93 patients. Including 20 patients with ovarian cancer. 20 with benign ovarian tumors. And 20 age-matched controls with no cancer. As well as 13 patients with pancreatic cancer. 10 patients with benign pancreatic disease,. And 10 controls. The vapor sensors discriminated the VOCs from ovarian cancer with 95% accuracy. And pancreatic cancer with 90% accuracy. The tool also correctly identified all eight patients with early-stage cancers.
To read the study abstract, click the image.
