In addition to being one of the most challenging cancers to treat, mesothelioma is one of the hardest cancers to catch early. It can take 40 or more years after asbestos exposure for symptoms like shortness of breath or fluid buildup around the lungs to appear, and by then, the disease is often too far along for curative treatment. Now, a new UK study published in Scientific Reports offers hope for much earlier detection.
Mesothelioma Researchers Study Breath Chemistry
Mesothelioma is what’s known as an “inflammatory” cancer”: it develops after asbestos fibers trigger years of chronic irritation in the lining of the lungs. Researchers at Sheffield Hallam University and Swansea University in the United Kingdom set out to understand whether that inflammation might have an impact on a patient’s breath. Using laboratory-grown mesothelioma cells alongside healthy mesothelial cells, the team exposed each cell line to four types of asbestos fibers, as well as a non-asbestos mineral fiber as a control. They then used gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to measure the VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, released into the air above the cells.
What they found is remarkable: both mesothelioma and healthy mesothelial cells showed significant shifts in VOC output after just 48 hours of exposure to asbestos. Cell viability and cell counts didn’t change, which suggests that the chemical changes were a genuine cellular response rather than being caused by cell death. Across all the cell lines tested, four specific compounds were consistently altered, with entire classes of chemicals, including long-chain alkanes, aromatics, and alcohols, showing up repeatedly as indications of fiber exposure. One of the compounds — benzaldehyde — had previously been identified as a differentiator between mesothelioma patients and healthy volunteers.
Could Mesothelioma Be Detected With a Simple Breath Test?
While the researchers caution that this is an early, laboratory-based finding requiring further validation, it does offer hope that a noninvasive screening tool could shift mesothelioma diagnosis to a much earlier, more treatable stage. Of all the challenges presented by mesothelioma, the long latency period has been identified as one of the biggest reasons that the disease is so difficult to treat. This research suggests that asbestos exposure may leave a detectable chemical signature in the body, even before cancer develops. If the UK researchers’ finding holds in human studies, it may be possible to create a breath test around these VOC markers, enabling identification of elevated risk long before the aggressive cancer is able to spread.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net are here to help. Contact us today at 1-800-692-8608 to learn more.
