Artikel
Application of an Electronic Nose for diagnosis of Head and Neck cancer
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Veröffentlicht: | 19. April 2011 |
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Gliederung
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Objective: Electronic nose (e-nose) technology is used in various applications such as in food and beverage industry, monitoring of air quality, detection of explosive and chemical agents. We present preliminary results of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) analysis by e-nose in exhaled breath from patients with Head and Neck Cancer for diagnosis and follow-up.
Material and method: 56 patients with histological confirmed Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) were asked to exhale into a 5 litre Tedlar bag. Air samples were analyzed within a period of 2 hours using an e-nose (Diagnose II of C-it Zutphen). Results were compared with a matched group of patients visiting the outpatient clinic for other (benign) diseases.
Results: Logistic regression analysis was used to generate the probability scores for the eceiver operating characteristic curve. An area under the curve of 0.82±0.04 was found. Sensitivity and specificity was depending on the threshold value. A high specificity of 98% and sensitivity of 50% was obtained at a threshold value of 7.5.
Conclusion: The e-nose might have potential for application in the diagnosis of HNSCC due to its rapid, simple, non-invasive nature and high specificity. More studies have to be done to validate use of the e-nose in the diagnostic process.