Electronic Noses for Cancer Diagnosis

News Releases, Digital Olfaction Society – Tokyo, Japan – August 30, 2022

There has been a growing interest in the use of e-noses in detecting volatile organic compounds in exhaled breath for the diagnosis of cancer. However, no systematic evaluation has been performed of the overall diagnostic accuracy and methodologic challenges of using e-noses for cancer detection in exhaled breath. This systematic review and meta-analysis identified 52 studies with 3677 patients with cancer, from which pooled analysis found e-noses to have a sensitivity of 90% and a specificity of 87% in detecting cancer. Most studies were feasibility studies with small sample sizes and poor standardization.