'Electronic nose' ‘sniffing’ breath to warn about higher risk of oesophageal cancer  

An electronic device that “sniffs” breath may offer a new way to identify people with a condition that can lead to cancer of the oesophagus, The Guardian reports, citing research findings.

Recent figures suggest there are about 9,000 new cases of oesophageal cancer, or cancer of the food pipe, every year in the UK.

According to the charity Cancer Research UK, people diagnosed with Barrett’s oesophagus – a precancerous condition in which cells lining the food pipe change and may grow abnormally – have more than 11 times greater risk of getting a particular type of oesophageal cancer called oesophageal adenocarcinoma compared with the general population.

Barrett’s oesophagus often has no symptoms but is more common among those with long-term acid reflux problems, while being male, over the age of 50, and overweight or obese are among the other risk factors. UK figures suggest about 3% to 13% of people with Barrett’s oesophagus will go on to develop oesophageal adenocarcinoma, a type of cancer that is on the rise in western countries.