Release date: 2015-04-21
Scientists are developing a technique to analyze human exhaled gases. In the near future, we can judge whether a person has stomach cancer by analyzing exhaled breath within a few minutes.
The molecules we exhale and exhale every day have their own unique patterns of composition, which can reflect the health of the human body. Therefore, scientists have tried to use the detection technology to "print out" people's breathing. In fact, we have developed a similar technology to detect other types of cancer. However, scientists say that analyzing respiratory conditions is significant for detecting gastric cancer, because it is "very low-key" in the West and is hard to find.
In an article published in the gastroenterology journal Gut, a group of scientists led by Hossam Haick examined 484 Latvian breath samples. Nearly 100 of the people who participated in the trial had previously been diagnosed with gastric cancer but did not begin any treatment. In addition, the scientists classified the remaining subjects and grouped them according to their risk of developing gastric cancer. Using respiratory detection technology (also known as "nanoarray analysis") to analyze the presence of gastric cancer symptoms and gastric cancer-free mixed population, the accuracy rate reached 92%. Scientists involved in the experiment said that the way we use it to detect gastric cancer is too aggressive for humans, and we can use breath detection instead of the existing technology in the future.
At present, only invasive methods like surgery can cure stomach cancer. Even so, only those patients who are diagnosed early in the disease have a chance to regain their health. Although gastric cancer ranks fifth among the world's most common cancer types, it is not "high-profile" in the United States - only 16th among the most common cancers in the United States. There are many reasons for this, such as eating habits and the presence of common bacteria like Helicobacter pylori. In general, when a patient is diagnosed with stomach cancer, the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Therefore, in the United States, only 28% of patients with gastric cancer can survive for more than five years after diagnosis. At present, only Japan and South Korea in the world attach importance to the prevention and screening of gastric cancer, because the incidence of gastric cancer in these two countries is quite high.
Marci Leja, one of the scientists involved in the development of new screening techniques for gastric cancer screening, said that about two-thirds of patients with gastric cancer know that they have developed the disease later in the disease. Leia said that there are nearly one million new cases of gastric cancer in the world each year. And as the incidence of gastric cancer is getting fiercer, we really should not "ignore" this problem. At present, we mainly use gastroscope technology to screen and diagnose gastric cancer, that is, a camera is inserted into the body through the throat of the patient, and the stomach is directly observed to observe the lesion. However, if a person does not show any symptoms of stomach cancer, then they are generally not willing to endure this painful intrusive examination. Leia also added that the new breath detection technology is less expensive than the prior art, faster and easier to operate.
When receiving a breath test, the patient only needs to breathe in a tube that connects a large number of sensors. The sensor used in this technique consists of two components: an organic film that changes in response to the presence of a particular molecule, and a second film that converts the reaction of the organic film into an electrical signal. Heck and Leia say that these sensors will be built directly into the snorkel in the future, so doctors can use breath detection devices like the body alcohol meter that uses drunk driving. In addition, the inspection time will be greatly shortened, and it only takes a few minutes to complete.
Instead of using a direct method to detect lesions in the human body, the new technology uses a roundabout “curve to save the country†program, which actually appeared in ancient Rome. For example, liver failure can cause the patient to have a bad smell when breathing, while the diabetic patient's breathing is a sweet acetone smell.
To test the reliability of new technologies, scientists use a variety of methods, not just to analyze the taste of breathing. Scientists hope to verify that the results of nanoarray analysis are true and reliable, so all respiratory samples were also analyzed by mass spectrometry. Mass spectrometry accurately identifies different chemicals, but it is not suitable for screening diagnostics for cancer because it is too costly and time consuming. However, scientists can use mass spectrometry to create a molecular model of gastric cancer, which is then used to find this specific model for diagnosis using nanoarray analysis. Leia explained: "Respiratory testing technology does not recognize specific materials, but it recognizes different models. We are constantly improving this technology to make it possible to judge whether the sample is stomach cancer, not stomach cancer, or not based on molecular models. Have other types of diseases."
Although the scientists involved in the trial believe that the accuracy of the breath detection technology is "excellent and excellent", it still has a 2% false positive false positive rate. That is to say, 2% of new technologies may identify patients who do not have gastric cancer suffering from gastric cancer. However, scientists have demonstrated that breath detection technology excels in identifying gastric diseases that do not form cancer. Leia said: "Identifying other diseases that determine high risk is a secondary task of this technology. However, from a clinical perspective, this function can sometimes play a more important role."
Dr. Jean-Marie Houghton is from the University of Massachusetts School of Medicine and is a spokesman for the American Gastroenterology Association. “The new technology is promising, but she is still in the early stages of R&D. We need to test the technology on more different types of people. But we are encouraged by the early development results.â€
Dr. Houghton said that if respiratory testing techniques fail to prove their accuracy in large-scale populations, they will not be promoted and popularized. In fact, people are more likely to use this technology as a complementary tool, only for patients in specific situations. For example, if the patient's environmental conditions or his or her genetics indicate a higher risk of developing gastric cancer, but it does not actually show any symptoms, then the respiratory detection technology can play a role. "If you don't want to undergo endoscopy, the meaning of breath detection technology is reflected," Horton said.
Leia, Heck and other scientists on the team led by medical doctor Dr. Haitham Amal have begun to develop next-generation respiratory testing equipment. Leia said: "We have clearly demonstrated that the research results can also play a role in other people. But even if the situation is optimistic, the technology will take several years to really mature. But in absolute terms, the incidence of gastric cancer is There will be no decline in the foreseeable future."
Source: Singularity Network
Smart Door Lock,Smart Security Door Locks,Fingerprint Smart Door Lock,Electronic Key Card System Smart Lock
Shenzhen BIO Technology Co.,Ltd. , https://www.huifantech.com