A novel clinical trial is set to evaluate a pioneering breath test for pancreatic cancer, a disease that is notoriously difficult to detect in its initial stages. Funded by Pancreatic Cancer UK, this trial is being hailed as “the most significant step toward a lifesaving breakthrough in 50 years.”
The symptoms of pancreatic cancer, such as back pain and indigestion, tend to be vague, leading to late diagnoses. An audit conducted in England and Wales reveals that a significant majority of patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage, with 62% in England and 65% in Wales receiving a stage four diagnosis. The survival rates are alarmingly low, with approximately 22% of patients in England and 21% in Wales not surviving beyond 30 days post-diagnosis.
Researchers at Imperial College London are optimistic about the potential of this new breath test. The study will involve 6,000 patients with undetermined diagnoses across 40 sites in England, Wales, and Scotland. If the test proves effective, the aim is to implement it in general practice within five years, allowing for earlier detection when treatments are most likely to succeed.
This large trial builds on a previous study involving 700 patients over two years, which yielded encouraging results. The breath test focuses on identifying a mix of “volatile organic compounds” emitted in breath. These compounds circulate in the bloodstream and are expelled through the lungs, with changes detectable even in the early stages of cancer. By isolating specific combinations of these compounds, the test can identify the presence of pancreatic cancer, providing results to general practitioners in just three days.
Currently, patients suspected of having pancreatic cancer must undergo scans or be referred to hospitals for further assessments. Diana Jupp, CEO of Pancreatic Cancer UK, emphasized the transformative potential of this breath test for early detection. “It is, undoubtedly, the most significant step toward a lifesaving breakthrough in 50 years,” she stated. “While more years of development are still needed before we can put this exciting new technology into the hands of GPs across the country, thousands of patients with an unknown diagnosis will now help refine it in the real world.”
Professor George Hanna, who heads the Department of Surgery and Cancer at Imperial College London and leads the project, expressed excitement about the next steps. “If our findings from the initial phase of the breath test study can be validated in a population of patients with an unknown diagnosis, it has huge potential to influence clinical practice and pancreatic cancer referral pathways,” he said. The research team is eager to see the test”s performance among patients suspected of having this challenging form of cancer.
