Volatile Organic Compound Assessment in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (VAPOR2)

Plain-language summary

The investigators are developing a non-invasive breath test to help us detect pancreatic cancer earlier. The test detects small molecules called volatile organic compounds that are made by pancreatic cancers. Pancreatic cancer is a rare disease but patients are often diagnosed at a late stage because their symptoms are the same as those of many common illnesses. This makes it hard for doctors to know which patients need to be tested for pancreatic cancer. If the investigators find pancreatic cancer at a late stage, it reduces the number of treatment choices for patients. Our test could be offered to patients who are experiencing vague symptoms, which might be caused either by pancreatic cancer or a common illness. This test could help doctors to identify which of those patients may have pancreatic cancer, and ensure they get referred for specialised pancreatic cancer tests. The investigators hope that this will allow us to diagnose pancreatic cancer earlier, increasing treatment choices for patients and improving survival from pancreatic cancer. The investigators have previously conducted a study (VAPOR1) which collected breath samples from people with and without pancreatic cancer. When the investigators analysed these samples, they found that there is a difference in the volatile organic compounds breathed out by people who have pancreatic cancer compared to those that do not. The investigators used these 'markers' to develop a breath test to diagnose pancreatic cancer. In VAPOR2, the investigators will study our breath test in a much larger group of patients who have been referred for further investigations for potential underlying pancreatic cancer to see how accurately it can pick up the small percentage of people who have pancreatic cancer.

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