Early disease screening saves lives

• Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for nearly 10 million deaths in 2020, or nearly one in six deaths.
• The most common cancers are breast, lung, colon and rectum and prostate cancers.
• Around one-third of deaths from cancer are due to tobacco use, high bodymass index, alcohol consumption, low fruit and vegetable intake, and lack of physical activity.
• Cancer-causing infections, such as human papillomavirus (HPV) and hepatitis,are responsible for approximately 30% of cancer cases in low- and lower-middle-income countries.
• Many cancers can be cured if detected early and treated effectively.

VOCs are small molecular mass compounds that have a high vapor pressure and a low boiling point.This, in turn, allows for their detection and measurement in exhaled breath. They are produced by every living organism and they are believed to reflect metabolic processes at the tissue level such as inflammation and oxidative stress. They can be measured not only on exhaled air, but on a wide range of human matrices such as blood, urine, feces, pleural effusions, and cell lines among others.

To date more than 3,000 VOCs have been identified that could be related to cancer.But, while there might be some that vary more than others in a pathological state, no single VOC can stand as a specific biomarker for disease prediction. Rather, a selection of VOCs needs to be used for enhancing sensitivity.