According to a report by The Sun, life-saving breathalysers that can detect cancers of the gut are being tested all across the United Kingdom. The report suggests that it will be tested on 8,000 people in NHS hospitals from April 2025. As a part of the trial, patients will be asked to blow into a special bag, more like taking a police roadside alcohol test.
As per the experts, it is less invasive and cheaper than other tests. Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle told The Sun that it would keep families “together for longer. It’s really exciting technology.
It’s using the very latest in detection systems that weren’t even available a couple of years ago." He further added, "It saves having to do very invasive biopsies which are extremely debilitating." The new test can detect molecules in a patient’s breath that show they have liver, pancreatic and oesophageal cancers.
If the trial turns out to be cost-effective, the equipment will be rolled out across the health service. It is part of the Government’s drive in an attempt to use technology to boost cancer detection. An £118 million fund will be used to create five centres to develop the technologies.
Mr Kyle said he was personally motivated after his mother died of lung cancer a decade ago. He said, "We use words like quantum and AI — it sounds distant. But it is incredibly human.
" This comes a little after scientists created a breakthrough to detect brain cancer in a faster and less invasive .
