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Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted as gases by metabolic processes can be altered in several diseases, including colorectal cancer (CRC). In this proof-of-principle study, researchers in the Netherlands assessed whether an electronic nose that detects VOC patterns in breath could be used as a noninvasive tool to screen for CRC and advanced adenomas.
Breath samples collected from 511 patients without inflammatory bowel disease or previous malignancy prior to undergoing colonoscopy were analyzed during the derivation, validation, and final development of disease-specific models. Of these patients, 64 were excluded (most commonly due to a failed breath test), leaving 447, including 70 with CRC, 117 with advanced adenomas, 117 with nonadv…