Scientists are developing a simple breath test that could detect pancreatic cancer early enough to save thousands of lives a year. Pancreatic Cancer UK, a dedicated charity that offers specialist support and investment in research is helping to fund the project.
The charity says the test would be a world-first for the disease and is backing a research team at Imperial College London led by Professor George Hanna that is studying how breath samples taken in a doctor's surgery could detect early symptoms of the cancer. Until now, the symptoms can often be mistaken for other less serious health conditions, so a rapid referral for scans could lead to timely and lifesaving treatment.
Helen Whately MP, minister for social care, recently visited the laboratories in London to try the test for herself. There she met Prof Hanna and Dr Chris MacDonald, the head of research. She said: “The earlier we catch cancer, the more likely we are to beat it. That’s why breath tests like these could be such an important breakthrough – helping thousands of people get a potentially life-saving early diagnosis.
