Detection of volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) in exhaled breath as a potential diagnostic method for oral squamous cell carcinoma

Background Oral squamous cell carcinoma causes a significant proportion of global cancer morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study is to investigate whether the exhaled breath test can be a new, non-invasive, and effective method for diagnosing oral squamous cell carcinoma. Methods A comparative analysis of exhaled breath between patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and healthy controls (HC) was performed with the Twin Breasor II (TM), a simple gas chromatography system. Results Both hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and methyl mercaptan (Ch(3)SH) were significantly higher in the OSCC group than in the HC group. The total sulfur concentration was also higher in the OSCC group, but there was no significant difference in the ratio of Ch(3)SH to H2S between the two groups. Using logistic regression, we constructed a new variable with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.740, 68.0% sensitivity, and 72.0% specificity. Conclusions Exhaled gas analysis via simple gas chromatography can potentially serve as an accessory non-invasive method for OSCC diagnosis.

Automated summary

This study evaluated the potential of exhaled breath analysis as a non-invasive method for diagnosing oral squamous cell carcinoma. Results showed elevated levels of hydrogen sulfide and methyl mercaptan in the exhaled breath of OSCC patients, suggesting that gas chromatography could serve as an accessory diagnostic tool for OSCC.