title: Pilot study: volatile organic compounds as a diagnostic marker for head and neck tumors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In the last decade, the analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOC) has undergone a rapid development. In this pilot study, patients with HNSCC were tested with a proton transfer reaction-mass spectrometry in order to establish a minimal invasive screening method.
  
  
  METHODS
  Overall in a period of 2 years, 22 carcinoma patients were recruited for the study. All patients had a newly diagnosed histologically secured squamous cell carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive tract. These results were statistically compared with 3 control groups: healthy controls, high-risk, and posttherapy patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two hundred nine different masses were measured; 188 of these were evaluated. The statistical workup of the 4 study groups produced 42 different masses, which showed a statistically significant difference from the carcinoma group compared with the control groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A screening method for HNSCC using VOC seems to be possible, but further investigation is necessary.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria. joachim.schmutzhard@i-med.ac.at
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schmutzhard
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rieder
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Deibl
authors.forename: Ilona M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Schwentner
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schmid
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lirk
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Abraham
authors.forename: Andreas R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Gunkel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D001944:Breath Tests / Q000379:methods; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000378:metabolism*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014835:Volatilization
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D009930:Organic Chemicals