TY - JOUR
T1 - The Use of Selected Ion Flow Tube-Mass Spectrometry Technology to Identify Breath Volatile Organic Compounds for the Detection of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
T2 - A Pilot Study
AU - Chandran, Dhinashini
AU - Ooi, Eng H.
AU - Watson, David I.
AU - Kholmurodova, Feruza
AU - Jaenisch, Simone
AU - Yazbeck, Roger
PY - 2019/6/25
Y1 - 2019/6/25
N2 - Background: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most common form of cancer worldwide, with approximately 630,000 new cases diagnosed each year. The development of low-cost and non-invasive tools for the detection of HNSCC using volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the breath could potentially improve patient care. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS) technology to identify breath VOCs for the detection of HNSCC. Materials and Methods: Breath samples were obtained from HNSCC patients (N = 23) and healthy volunteers (N = 21). Exhaled alveolar breath samples were collected into FlexFoil® PLUS (SKC Limited, Dorset, UK) sampling bags from newly diagnosed, histologically confirmed, untreated patients with HNSCC and from non-cancer participants. Breath samples were analyzed by Selected Ion Flow Tube-Mass Spectrometry (SIFT-MS) (Syft Technologies, Christchurch, New Zealand) using Selective Ion Mode (SIM) scans that probed for 91 specific VOCs that had been previously reported as breath biomarkers of HNSCC and other malignancies. Results: Of the 91 compounds analyzed, the median concentration of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) was significantly higher in the HNSCC group (2.5 ppb, 1.6-4.4) compared to the non-cancer group (1.1 ppb, 0.9-1.3; Benjamini-Hochberg adjusted p < 0.05). A receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis showed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.801 (95% CI, 0.65952-0.94296), suggesting moderate accuracy of HCN in distinguishing HNSCC from non-cancer individuals. There were no statistically significant differences in the concentrations of the other compounds of interest that were analyzed. Conclusions: This pilot study demonstrated the feasibility of SIFT-MS technology to identify VOCs for the detection of HNSCC.
AB - Background: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most common form of cancer worldwide, with approximately 630,000 new cases diagnosed each year. The development of low-cost and non-invasive tools for the detection of HNSCC using volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the breath could potentially improve patient care. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS) technology to identify breath VOCs for the detection of HNSCC. Materials and Methods: Breath samples were obtained from HNSCC patients (N = 23) and healthy volunteers (N = 21). Exhaled alveolar breath samples were collected into FlexFoil® PLUS (SKC Limited, Dorset, UK) sampling bags from newly diagnosed, histologically confirmed, untreated patients with HNSCC and from non-cancer participants. Breath samples were analyzed by Selected Ion Flow Tube-Mass Spectrometry (SIFT-MS) (Syft Technologies, Christchurch, New Zealand) using Selective Ion Mode (SIM) scans that probed for 91 specific VOCs that had been previously reported as breath biomarkers of HNSCC and other malignancies. Results: Of the 91 compounds analyzed, the median concentration of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) was significantly higher in the HNSCC group (2.5 ppb, 1.6-4.4) compared to the non-cancer group (1.1 ppb, 0.9-1.3; Benjamini-Hochberg adjusted p < 0.05). A receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis showed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.801 (95% CI, 0.65952-0.94296), suggesting moderate accuracy of HCN in distinguishing HNSCC from non-cancer individuals. There were no statistically significant differences in the concentrations of the other compounds of interest that were analyzed. Conclusions: This pilot study demonstrated the feasibility of SIFT-MS technology to identify VOCs for the detection of HNSCC.
KW - breath test
KW - cancer screening
KW - cancer screening tests
KW - head and neck cancer
KW - neoplasms head and neck
KW - volatile organic compounds
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85068888612&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/medicina55060306
DO - 10.3390/medicina55060306
M3 - Article
C2 - 31242578
AN - SCOPUS:85068888612
SN - 1648-9144
VL - 55
JO - Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania)
JF - Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania)
IS - 6
M1 - 306
ER -
