Breath Compounds Could be Used to Detect Larynx Cancer, Researchers Say

New research shows that compounds in the breath could be used to detect larynx cancer.

Researchers at the Rey Juan Carlos University and the Alcorcón Hospital (Madrid) have found that concentration of certain molecules such as ethanol and 2-butanone could be biomarkers for larynx cancer.

The larynx (voice box) is a part of the throat and is located between the base of the tongue and trachea, according to the National Cancer Institute.

An estimated 12,630 cases of the laryngeal cancers will be diagnosed in 2014 and around 3,610 will die from the cancer, NCI says.

Rafael García and team, who conducted the research, plan to create a type of "electronic nose" that can help, detect cancers.

The idea of using a breathanalyzer that could check for compounds associated with certain cancers isn't new. University of Louisville researchers had recently showed that silicone microprocessor and mass spectrometer could be used to hunt for specific volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

The present study involved 31 people of whom 20 were healthy subjects. Eleven participants suffered from cancer of the larynx and were being treated at Alcorcón Hospital in Madrid. Half of the healthy volunteers were smokers.

Researchers found concentrations of seven compounds associated with the cancer in advanced-stage patients were different from the levels of compounds seen in healthy people.

The team used micro-extraction, gas chromatography and mass spectrometry techniques to detect levels of compounds in the breath of the volunteers.

Concentrations of two compounds, ethanol (C2H6O) and 2-butanone (C4H8O), were particularly different. According to researchers, these two compounds could be used to detect the cancer.

"At the moment it is still a preliminary study and a wider sample has to be obtained," Rafael García, professor of Chemical Engineering at the URJC and co-author of the study told SINC, "but it is a step in the right direction, an alternative with regard to identifying biomarkers, not only for this type of cancer but for other more prevalent and serious ones such as lung cancer, where early detection is key".

The study is published in the journal 'Chromatographia.'