ArticleBJS open2020
Chemical signature of colorectal cancer: case-control study for profiling the breath print.
Article in BJS open, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 40 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
40 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 80 citations in OpenAlex.
- Advanced strategy for cancer detection based on volatile organic compounds in breath.Journal of nanobiotechnology · 2025Pooled it
- Exploring Components, Sensors, and Techniques for Cancer Detection via eNose Technology: A Systematic Review.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Pooled it
- Diagnostic performance of volatile organic compounds analysis and electronic noses for detecting colorectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in oncology · 2024Pooled it
- The Influence of Mechanical Bowel Preparation on Volatile Organic Compounds for the Detection of Gastrointestinal Disease-A Systematic Review.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Pooled it
- Volatile organic compounds as a potential screening tool for neoplasm of the digestive system: a meta-analysis.Scientific reports · 2021Pooled it
- AI-driven breath biopsy from a case-control study assists in the early detection of paediatric brain tumours.EBioMedicine · 2025Article
- Systematic comparison of methods for offline breath sampling.Analytical and bioanalytical chemistry · 2025Article
- Colorectal Cancer Detection Through Sweat Volatilome Using an Electronic Nose System and GC-MS Analysis.Cancers · 2025Article
- Non-invasive breath testing to detect colorectal cancer: protocol for a multicentre, case-control development and validation study (COBRA2 study).BMC cancer · 2025Article
- Prognostic Significance of the Comprehensive Biomarker Analysis in Colorectal Cancer.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Development of Electronic Nose as a Complementary Screening Tool for Breath Testing in Colorectal Cancer.Biosensors · 2025Article
- Optimized breath analysis: customized analytical methods and enhanced workflow for broader detection of VOCs.Metabolomics : Official journal of the Metabolomic Society · 2025Article
- Utility, feasibility, and socio-demographic considerations in the diagnosis of bacterial RTI's by GC-IMS breath analysis.iScience · 2024Article
- Unveiling Colorectal Cancer Biomarkers: Harnessing Biosensor Technology for Volatile Organic Compound Detection.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
- Sample Collection and Processing in Volatile Organic Compound Analysis for Gastrointestinal Cancers.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
- Partial role of volatile organic compounds in behavioural responses of mice to bedding from cancer-affected congeners.Biology open · 2024Article
- Progress and challenges of developing volatile metabolites from exhaled breath as a biomarker platform.Metabolomics : Official journal of the Metabolomic Society · 2024Review
- Advancements in breath-based diagnostics for pancreatic cancer: Current insights and future perspectives.World journal of gastrointestinal oncology · 2024Article
- Colorectal Cancer Diagnosis through Breath Test Using a Portable Breath Analyzer-Preliminary Data.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Breath Fingerprint of Colorectal Cancer Patients Based on the Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Analysis.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundEffective screening for colorectal cancer can reduce mortality by early detection of tumours and colonic polyps. An altered pattern of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled breath has been proposed as a potential non-invasive diagnostic tool for detection of cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability of breath-testing for colorectal cancer screening and early diagnosis using an advanced breath sampler.
methodsThe exhaled breath of patients with colorectal cancer and non-cancer controls with negative findings on colonoscopy was collected using the ReCIVA® Breath Sampler. This portable device is able to capture the alveolar breath fraction without environmental contamination. VOCs were desorbed thermally and analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The discriminatory ability of VOCs in detecting colorectal cancer was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis for each VOC, followed by cross-validation by the leave-one-out method, and by applying stepwise logistic regression analysis.
resultsThe study included 83 patients with colorectal cancer and 90 non-cancer controls. Fourteen VOCs were found to have significant discriminatory ability in detecting patients with colorectal cancer. The model with the diagnosis of cancer versus no cancer resulted in a statistically significant likelihood of discrimination of 173·45 (P < 0·001), with an area under the ROC curve of 0·979. Cross-validation of the model resulted in a true predictive value for colorectal cancer of 93 per cent overall. Reliability of the breath analysis was maintained irrespective of cancer stage.
conclusionThis study demonstrated that analysis of exhaled VOCs can discriminate patients with colorectal cancer from those without. This finding may eventually lead to the creation of a smart online sensory device, capable of providing a binary answer (cancer/no cancer) and directing to further screening.
Identifiers
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.