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Tumor Discovery Volatile organic compounds for cancer screening

tumor factors such as location, size, and histologic Implementing VOC analysis for accessible screening and
subtype on its accuracy. Larger tumor volumes and early detection of cancer could improve patient outcomes
advanced-stage cancers may produce more complex and decrease cancer-related deaths and the global
VOC profiles, which can lead to false positives or disease burden. However, despite its immense potential,
reduced sensitivity of the technique. Moreover, the VOC analysis continues to face several implementation
impact of adjuvant therapies such as chemotherapy, challenges before it can be integrated into clinical practice.
radiation, and immunotherapy on VOC release by Standardization of sample collection and analysis, clinical
tumor cells remains incompletely understood, further validation, and, ultimately, multicenter randomized control
highlighting the potential limitations of VOC analysis trials are necessary to establish the role of VOC analysis in
for cancer screening and detection. Despite these cancer screening and detection.
challenges, VOC analysis remains a promising tool,
and continued research will further refine its utility in Acknowledgments
clinical practice. None.
7.3. Integration into clinical practice Funding
MS for VOC analysis is a standard technique used None.
widely in several industries. The instrumentation has
been validated over several years and is no longer in Conflict of interest
the development stage. However, the accuracy and
9
reliability of this technique for obtaining results in The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
clinical practice have yet to be established. Furthermore, Author contributions
the reproducibility of the results in a clinical setting
needs to be validated, reported, and optimized before Conceptualization: Alexandra Allard-Coutu, Kevin Singh,
implementation. Randomized control trials against Victoria Dobson
the current standard of care for cancer screening and Writing – original draft: Alexandra Allard-Coutu, Kevin
detection should be carried out before considering the Singh, Dawn David, Victoria Dobson, Lily Dahmer
integration of this tool into clinical practice. Indeed, Writing – review & editing: Alexandra Allard-Coutu,
it would be important to establish the repeatability of Victoria Dobson, Barbara Heller
VOC measurements using the same analytical platform
and the reproducibility of VOC measurements among Ethics approval and consent to participate
instruments using different analytical platforms and/or Not applicable.
different laboratories/centers.
Consent for publication
7.4. Validation of VOCs as a diagnostic model
Not applicable.
Formal trials are required to provide external validation
against positive control groups and compare against current Availability of data
standards of care, ultimately validating the tool among the
target population and the external environment where the Not applicable.
VOC testing will ultimately take place. Validation studies References
are required to establish test thresholds for various cancers
at various stages as well as to establish a differentiation 1. Hanna GB, Boshier PR, Markar SR, Romano A. Accuracy
between tumor subtypes and compare these metrics against and methodologic challenges of volatile organic compound-
a control test population. Subsequently, large, multicenter, based exhaled breath tests for cancer diagnosis: A systematic
blinded randomized control trials are required to validate review and meta-analysis [published correction appears
this technology against the standard of care. Importantly, in JAMA Oncol. 2019 Jul 1;5(7):1070]. JAMA Oncol.
2019;5(1):e182815.
the studies will need to follow international standards for
reporting using Standards for Reporting of Diagnostic doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2018.2815
Accuracy Studies guidelines. 2. Gaude E, Nakhleh MK, Patassini S, et al. Targeted breath
analysis: Exogenous volatile organic compounds (EVOC)
8. Conclusion as metabolic pathway-specific probes. J Breath Res.

There is strong evidence supporting the potential use of 2019;13(3):032001.
VOCs in exhaled breath for accurate cancer detection. doi: 10.1088/1752-7163/ab1789

Volume 3 Issue 2 (2024) 11 doi: 10.36922/td.2061