Researchers are trialling a world-first breath test to detect pancreatic cancer. The study, funded by Pancreatic Cancer UK, is described by the charity as the most significant step toward a lifesaving breakthrough in 50 years. Symptoms of the disease are often vague, such as back pain and indigestion, so many cases are not diagnosed until the cancer has spread. An audit of pancreatic cancer in England and Wales found that 62% of patients in England and 65% in Wales were diagnosed at stage four. Survival remains poor, with about 22% not surviving 30 days after diagnosis in England and 21% in Wales.

Imperial College London researchers are running the trial, which will involve around 6,000 patients with an unknown diagnosis across 40 sites in England, Wales and Scotland. If the test proves effective, it could be rolled out across GP surgeries within five years, allowing earlier diagnosis when treatment is more likely to help. The current large trial follows a smaller study of 700 patients over two years that yielded promising results.

The test works by detecting a pattern of volatile organic compounds in breath. Thousands of these compounds travel in the bloodstream and are filtered by the lungs and exhaled; scientists say the changes can be detected even when cancer is at an early stage. Isolating specific combinations of these compounds can indicate whether a person has pancreatic cancer, with results available to GPs in three days. At present, patients with suspected pancreatic cancer are referred for scans or hospital investigations. “The breath test has the potential to revolutionise the early detection of pancreatic cancer. It is, undoubtedly, the most significant step toward a lifesaving breakthrough in 50 years. While more years of development are still needed before we can put this exciting new technology into the hands of GPs across the country, thousands of patients with an unknown diagnosis will now help refine it in the real-world. This is the first pancreatic cancer breath test to ever reach a national clinical trial of this scale. That in itself makes this a moment of real, tangible hope. For decades the deadliest common cancer has been seen as too great a challenge to solve but we are determined to keep pushing the boundaries of what’s thought possible.”

Professor George Hanna, head of the Department of Surgery and Cancer at Imperial College London, said: “If our findings from the initial phase of the breath test study can be validated in a population of patients with an unknown diagnosis, it has huge potential to influence clinical practice and pancreatic cancer referral pathways. The funding announced today means we can now move quickly to that patient validation study stage, which is a very exciting next step for us. We look forward to seeing how the test performs in this group of patients with suspected cancer.”