Throat cancer could soon be detected on your breath

SCENT OF CANCER: A team of scientists developed an apparatus capable of differentiating the breath of a healthy person and that of a sick patient based on the observation that human breath contains volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Thanks to new technology being developed by Swiss scientists and already tested on patients, blowing into a portable apparatus equipped with sensors will allow for the detection of certain cancers of the head and neck, such as throat and mouth. 

Scientists from the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) have created a new device capable of detecting the presence of certain cancers in the throat and mouth through a patient's breath.