British scientists are developing a new breathalyser test that could significantly improve cancer diagnosis by detecting early signs of the disease in a patient’s breath. The test aims to reduce the need for invasive procedures like biopsies and could save thousands of lives by catching cancer earlier.

The breathalyser works by identifying chemicals released by cancerous tumors, known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which enter the bloodstream and can be detected in a patient’s breath. A large-scale trial involving 1,500 patients is set to run over the next two years, and experts believe the technology could replace current cancer screening methods within a decade.

Dr. David Crosby from Cancer Research UK said, “This may sound futuristic, but it’s a very real possibility with enormous potential. Early detection significantly improves the chances of successful treatment, and many cancers don’t have reliable early tests due to a lack of symptoms.”

The UK has lagged behind other European countries in cancer survival rates, with over 17,000 deaths annually attributed to late diagnoses. The breathalyser could address this issue by providing a quicker, non-invasive alternative to biopsies, which are time-consuming and invasive.

The technology was developed by Cambridge scientist Billy Boyle, whose wife, Kate Gross, died of colon cancer at age 36 in 2014. Gross had worked as an adviser to former Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. Boyle’s device detects cancer by identifying VOCs, similar to how alcohol is detected in breath, making it a promising tool for early cancer detection.