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Pancreas is an organ in the abdomen that is located in front of the spine above the level of the belly button. It makes insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels, secretes into the intestine digestive enzymes which break down dietary proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
Pancreatic cancer does not cause symptoms until it has grown, so it is most frequently diagnosed in advanced stages rather than early in the course of the disease. Common symptoms at advanced stage are: nausea, vomiting, weight loss, itching skin, decreased appetite, back pain, abdominal pain, dark urine and abdominal bloating.
Breath analyses may detect pancreatic cancer earlier, when curative treatments may be possible. Pancreatic cancer carries a very poor prognosis as most patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage with low chance of survival. Researchers examined volatile organic compounds in breath samples from patients with localized and metastatic pancreatic cancers, compared with patients with benign pancreatic disease and some with a normal pancreas.
Tests identified 12 compounds that were indicative of pancreatic cancer. These compounds were from three main chemical groups- aldehydes, alkanes and alcohols. The final application of breath testing in the patient care pathway will depend on test sensitivity and specificity in large multicentre clinical trials, and its performance in early pancreatic cancer and high-risk groups.