Developing a breath test for pancreatic cancer
We're funding an exciting project which aims to develop a breath test for the early detection of pancreatic cancer.
Read all about our research projects
We are funding Professor George Hanna at Imperial College London to develop the world’s first breath test for pancreatic cancer, which could revolutionise the early detection of this devastating disease.
Early detection saves lives, and yet, currently 80% of people with pancreatic cancer are diagnosed too late for treatment that could save their life. The vague symptoms of pancreatic cancer mean that it is very difficult for GPs to identify those who need urgent referral for further investigation. We desperately need new tools to help GPs identify pancreatic cancer at an earlier stage.
Professor Hanna and his team are developing a breath test which could be used in the GP surgery to quickly and easily identify those patients with vague symptoms who are most likely to have pancreatic cancer.
The research team hope that in the future, it will be possible to use a breath test to detect and distinguish between multiple different types of cancer, a development that could revolutionise cancer detection and potentially save millions of lives.
This research builds on our previous work in the area of early detection, particularly the work of our Early Diagnosis Research Alliance.
“I am so excited that this is all coming together to fruition. I remember saying that this tool is going to be a game changer against the battle with pancreatic cancer.”
