A simple breath test that could help detect the early stages of stomach cancer has been developed by scientists . The screening system spots chemical signals in exhaled air that are linked to tumour development . By looking for distinctive ‘ breath prints ’ , researchers were also able to distinguish between patients at high and low risk of developing the disease . Scroll down for video . In and out : Thanks to a breath test , researchers claim there were able to detect the early stages of stomach cancer and also to distinguish between patients at high and low risk of developing the disease ( stock image ) Israeli researchers say the system is accurate , cheap – and allows patients to be monitored without using invasive procedures . The discovery comes as scientists in the US made a breakthrough that could lead a test to flag up the most aggressive forms of prostate cancer . A protein has been identified which seems to play a crucial role in the rapid growth of tumours . The breath test discovery is hoped to save thousands of lives . About 7,000 people develop stomach cancer in the UK each year and most of these cases are in the advanced stages when they are diagnosed . Research leader Professor Hossam Haick of the Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute in Haifa , said : ‘ The attraction of this test lies in its non-invasiveness , ease of use , rapid predictiveness , insensitivity to confounding factors , and potentially low cost. ’ Breathe : The tscreening system spots chemical signals in exhaled air that are linked to tumour development ( stock image ) Previous research has found that other methods could be used to identify stomach cancer , but none looked at detecting pre-cancerous changes . In the study published online in the journal Gut , breath samples were taken from 484 people , including 99 already diagnosed with stomach cancer . They were analysed by so-called nanomaterial sensors , which are able to read a chemical signal or pattern linked with stomach cancer based on very small particles in a patient ’ s breath . The test is so accurate it could detect the difference between early and late stage gastric cancers . The researchers hope the breath test could be used as an alternative to endoscopies , an invasive and expensive procedure to diagnose gastric cancers using a long flexible tube . A large trial involving thousands of patients , including those with stomach cancer or pre-cancerous changes , is currently under way in Europe to test the technology ’ s suitability as a screening method , they add . Meanwhile , US experts say the discovery of a new biomarker protein may one day lead to a test which differentiates men with aggressive prostate cancer from those with a less threatening form of the disease . The findings , published in the scientific journal Oncogene , raises hope of tests that deliver an accurate diagnosis from the outset . The results could lead to more targeted treatment for those with the worst cancers – and less treatment for men whose tumours are not dangerous . Professor Renny Franceschi , of the University of Michigan , said it paves the way for a ‘ warning light ’ that signals how dangerous the cancer is . It might also one day lead to a treatment which stops tumours growing . Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men , with 40,000 diagnosed in Britain every year . Current tests only identify whether a tumour is likely to be present . But they are unreliable , holding a high risk of ‘ false positives ’ that wrongly identify healthy men as having cancer . Professor Franceschi said that if further research proves positive , eventually it might lead to a test involving a simple biopsy when the patient first complains of symptoms .
mice spot chemical signals in exhaled tissues linked to tumour cancer . About 7,000 people experience stomach cancer in the UK each year .