A groundbreaking trial is set to evaluate the effectiveness of an innovative breath test designed to detect pancreatic cancer, a disease that is notoriously difficult to identify in its initial stages. Funded by Pancreatic Cancer UK, this trial is heralded as potentially the most significant advancement in the field over the past 50 years.
Pancreatic cancer often presents vague symptoms such as back pain and indigestion, leading to late diagnoses. A recent analysis revealed that a substantial portion of patients, specifically 62% in England and 65% in Wales, are diagnosed at stage four of the disease. The prognosis for these patients is grim, with survival rates indicating that approximately 22% in England and 21% in Wales do not survive beyond 30 days post-diagnosis.
Researchers from Imperial College London are optimistic about the potential of the breath test, which will be trialed among 6,000 patients with undiagnosed conditions at 40 sites across England, Wales, and Scotland. If successful, there is hope that this test could be implemented in general practitioner offices within five years, allowing for earlier diagnoses when treatments may be more effective.
This large-scale trial follows a smaller study involving 700 participants over two years, which yielded promising results. The breath test works by detecting a mix of “volatile organic compounds” found in exhaled breath. These compounds, which circulate in the bloodstream before being expelled through the lungs, can indicate the presence of pancreatic cancer even in its earliest stages. Unique combinations of these compounds could help determine whether an individual has the disease, with results available to general practitioners in just three days.
Currently, patients suspected of having pancreatic cancer are often referred for imaging scans or sent for further examinations at hospitals. Diana Jupp, chief executive of Pancreatic Cancer UK, expressed optimism about the breath test”s potential, stating, “The breath test has the potential to revolutionise the early detection of pancreatic cancer.” She emphasized that this trial marks a significant step toward a potential breakthrough in cancer detection.
Professor George Hanna, who leads the project at Imperial College London, noted that validating the findings from the initial phase of the breath test study within this patient population could significantly impact clinical practices and referral processes for pancreatic cancer. “The funding announced today means we can now move quickly to that patient validation study stage, which is a very exciting next step for us,” he added.
The launch of this clinical trial represents a beacon of hope in the fight against one of the deadliest forms of cancer, as researchers strive to overcome the challenges that have long hindered early detection efforts.
