A simple breath test could soon be used to diagnose early cases of two deadly cancers .

The test, which has recorded 85% accuracy in trials, could make diagnosing stomach and oesophageal cancer easier.

Currently, the only way of detecting these cancers is by endoscopy, an invasive method involving a camera mounted to flexible tube being inserted into a patient’s throat and stomach.

Each year in the UK around 6,682 people are diagnosed with stomach cancer and 4,576 die from the disease.

Around 8,919 new cases of oesophageal cancer are diagnosed each year, with 7,790 deaths.

Now experts claim a simple breath test could reduce risk of complications and increase survival rates.

Dr Sheraz Markar, researcher from Imperial College London, said: “At present the only way to diagnose oesophageal cancer or stomach cancer is with endoscopy. This method is expensive, invasive and has some risk of complications.


The study saw breath samples collected from 335 patients at three London hospitals, with 163 already being diagnosed with oesophageal or stomach cancer and 172 cancer-free.

In each breath sample, levels of butyric, pentanoic and hexanoic acids, along with chemicals butanal and decanal were measured.

Results, presented at the European Cancer Congress meeting in Amsterdam, showed the test successfully identifying those patients who had cancer and was deemed unlikely to produce a false diagnosis.

Over the next three years, the researchers will run larger trials including patients not yet diagnosed with cancer.

The team is also working on breath tests to detect other cancers, such as bowel and pancreas.