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Review
. 2020 Apr;42(4):787-793.
doi: 10.1002/hed.26043. Epub 2019 Dec 19.

Exhaled breath analysis in the diagnosis of head and neck cancer

Antti A Mäkitie  1   2   3 , Alhadi Almangush  2   4   5   6 , Omar Youssef  2   4 , Markus Metsälä  7 , Suvi Silén  1 , Iain J Nixon  8 , Missak Haigentz Jr  9 , Juan P Rodrigo  10 , Nabil F Saba  11 , Vincent Vander Poorten  12 , Alfio Ferlito  13
Affiliations
Review

Exhaled breath analysis in the diagnosis of head and neck cancer

Antti A Mäkitie et al. Head Neck. 2020 Apr.

Abstract

Head and neck cancer (HNC) comprises a heterogeneous group of upper aerodigestive tract malignant neoplasms, the most frequent of which is squamous cell carcinoma. HNC forms the eighth most common cancer type and the incidence is increasing. However, survival has improved only moderately during the past decades. Currently, early diagnosis remains the mainstay for improving treatment outcomes in this patient population. Unfortunately, screening methods to allow early detection of HNC are not yet established. Therefore, many cases are still diagnosed at advanced stage, compromising outcomes. Exhaled breath analysis (EBA) is a diagnostic tool that has been recently introduced for many cancers. Breath analysis is non-invasive, cost-effective, time-saving, and can potentially be applied for cancer screening. Here, we provide a summary of the accumulated evidence on the feasibility of EBA in the diagnosis of HNC.

Keywords: diagnosis; exhaled breath analysis; head and neck cancer.

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References

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