From skin odor to cancer diagnosis

Some English scientists have studied for a long time the correlation between the biochemical profile of a person's smell and any pathologies. The skin or rather the information given by the smells have proved useful for the diagnosis of diseases such as cancer , according to what was reported by Paul Thomas of Loughborough University in the United Kingdom. The research group collected a series of odors, volatile organic chemical compounds (VOCs volatile organic compounds), from the skin of patients using a patch made of siloxane polymers (organic compound containing silicon and oxygen). The odor was then obtained by heating the support and collecting the gas released. The latter was analyzed with chromatography and mass spectrometry techniques. The VOCs therefore make it possible to obtain a NON-invasive examination of a person's metabolic profile, in which alterations due to ongoing pathologies can be identified. Currently with the smell the team was able to correctly diagnose skin cancer. Until now, the only way to be sure of the diagnosis was to perform a biopsy (invasive method) of the skin. The potential of this technique is manifold and continuing with the studies we will certainly arrive in the perhaps not too distant future to have a complete non-invasive (painless), inexpensive, simple and stress-free patient screening. [via rcs ]