ArticleScientific reports2020
Breath methane to hydrogen ratio as a surrogate marker of intestinal dysbiosis in head and neck cancer.
Article in Scientific reports, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 17 citations in OpenAlex.
- Advanced strategy for cancer detection based on volatile organic compounds in breath.Journal of nanobiotechnology · 2025Pooled it
- Molecular Hydrogen Therapy: Mechanisms, Delivery Methods, Preventive, and Therapeutic Application.MedComm · 2025Review
- Recent Advances in Sensing Materials Targeting Clinical Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Biomarkers: A Review.Biosensors · 2023Review
- Archaea Microbiome Dysregulated Genes and Pathways as Molecular Targets for Lung Adenocarcinoma and Squamous Cell Carcinoma.International journal of molecular sciences · 2022Article
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Exhaled breath compounds can non-invasively detect head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Here we investigated exhaled compounds related to intestinal bacterial carbohydrate fermentation. Fasting breath samples were collected into 3 litre FlexFoil PLUS bags from patients awaiting a biopsy procedure for suspected HNSCC. Samples were analysed using a Syft selected ion flow-tube mass spectrometer and a Quintron BreathTracker. Two tailed non-parametric significance testing was conducted with corrections for multiple imputations. 74 patients were diagnosed (histological) with HNSCC and 61 patients were benign (controls). The methane to hydrogen ratio was significantly different between cancer and non-cancer controls (p = 0.0440). This ratio increased with tumour stage with a significant difference between T1 and T4 tumours (p = 0.0259). Hydrogen levels were significantly higher in controls who were smokers (p = 0.0129), with no smoking dependent methane changes. There were no differences in short chain fatty acids between groups. Exhaled compounds of intestinal carbohydrate fermentation can detect HNSCC patients. These findings suggest a modified carbohydrate fermentation profile in HNSCC patients that is tumour stage and smoking status dependent.
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Registered trials
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