"I was inspired by nature. I knew that dogs could smell cancer by detecting chemical changes produced by molecules exhaled by their owners. I wondered if we could mimic this. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) - the most common form of pancreatic cancer - is diagnosed using imaging, such as computed tomography (CT) scans, and biopsies, which are invasive procedures. The whole process can often take weeks."
"But if someone walks into a hospital or a pharmacy complaining of any of the vague symptoms that are indicative of PDAC, then they could do a breath test right there. It takes about five minutes to do, and the aim is that results would be available within 24 hours of reaching the laboratory. If it's positive for PDAC, the person is referred for further testing to confirm the result."
Early-stage pancreatic cancer is hard to diagnose because symptoms such as abdominal pain, weight loss and indigestion are nonspecific and overlap with benign conditions. In England, 39% of people receive diagnosis only after the cancer has spread to other organs. PDAC diagnosis currently relies on imaging and invasive biopsies and often takes weeks; fewer than 10% qualify for curative surgery at diagnosis. A breath-based test inspired by canine scent detection aims to provide a quick, non-invasive screen with laboratory results within 24 hours and to triage people for further diagnostic testing, potentially improving outcomes.
Read at Nature
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