Detection of lung, breast, colorectal, and prostate cancers from exhaled breath using a single array of nanosensors

Abstract

Background:Tumour growth is accompanied by gene and/or protein changes that may lead to peroxidation of the cell membrane species and, hence, to the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In this study, we investigated the ability of a nanosensor array to discriminate between breath VOCs that characterise healthy states and the most widespread cancer states in the developed world: lung, breast, colorectal, and prostate cancers.Methods:Exhaled alveolar breath was collected from 177 volunteers aged 20–75 years (patients with lung, colon, breast, and prostate cancers and healthy controls). Breath from cancerous subjects was collected before any treatment. The healthy population was healthy according to subjective patient's data. The breath of volunteers was examined by a tailor-made array of cross-reactive nanosensors based on organically functionalised gold nanoparticles and gas chromatography linked to the mass spectrometry technique (GC-MS).Results:The results showed that the nanosensor array could differentiate between ‘healthy' and ‘cancerous' breath, and, furthermore, between the breath of patients having different cancer types. Moreover, the nanosensor array could distinguish between the breath patterns of different cancers in the same statistical analysis, irrespective of age, gender, lifestyle, and other confounding factors. The GC-MS results showed that each cancer could have a unique pattern of VOCs, when compared with healthy states, but not when compared with other cancer types.Conclusions:The reported results could lead to the development of an inexpensive, easy-to-use, portable, non-invasive tool that overcomes many of the deficiencies associated with the currently available diagnostic methods for cancer.

Solid phase microextraction, mass spectrometry and metabolomic approaches for detection of potential urinary cancer biomarkers—A powerful strategy for breast cancer diagnosis

“…In recent years, there has been an enormous effort to develop specific and sensitive biomarkers for precise and accurate screening, diagnosis, prognosis and monitoring of high risk cancer to aid therapeutic decisions [21,22]. Different methods such as chemical interaction have been developed to analyze volatile metabolites and to compare them in healthy subjects and cancer patients, adsorptive binding, cold trapping and supercritical fluid extraction.…”

Analysis of volatile organic compounds in exhaled breath for lung cancer diagnosis using a sensor system

“…Various VOCs were reported as lung cancer biomarkers such as acetone, benzene, heptane, hexanal, pentanal, pentane, styrene, and toluene [17,45,46]. However, accurate and reproducible lung cancer related breath VOCs has not been defined yet.…”

Opsporen van prostaatkanker in uitademingslucht met behulp van een draagbare elektronische neus

“…Wij vonden slechts twee studies over het vaststellen van prostaatkanker op basis van uitademingsluchtanalyse. Een studie door Peng et al [19] . De invloed van het uitvoeren van metingen in meerdere ruimten, met mogelijk een andere samenstelling van de omgevingslucht, is nog niet bestudeerd.…”

“…De invloed van het uitvoeren van metingen in meerdere ruimten, met mogelijk een andere samenstelling van de omgevingslucht, is nog niet bestudeerd. In de studie van Peng et al [19] werden aan de patiënten strikte eisen gesteld. Zo mochten deelnemers in de 12 uur voorafgaand aan de analyse niet roken of alcohol gebruiken.…”