Diagnostic accuracy of breath tests based on volatile organic compounds for cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Exhaled volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are being extensively studied for the purposes of noninvasive cancer diagnoses. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of breath tests based on VOCs for cancer detection, and to propose potential cancer biomarkers. This study was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Relevant studies up to February 2024 were retrieved from public databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science. A total of 114 articles were included, covering 125 non-duplicate studies involving 8768 cancer patients. Meta-analysis showed that the VOC breath test demonstrated a sensitivity of 87% and a specificity of 81% in cancer diagnosis, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.93. Subgroup analyses based on cancer types and breath detection techniques also showed high sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing cancer patients. These suggest that breath analysis for VOCs has excellent diagnostic accuracy for cancer. The breath test based on VOCs, as a non-invasive detection method, shows great potential for cancer diagnosis.