VODCA Limited

Oesophago-gastric cancer is among the world’s top five cancers. Survival rates are very poor, the disease presents late and early symptoms are non-specific. We have developed a non-invasive test for oesophago-gastric adenocarcinoma (specificity 81%/sensitivity 85%) based on the detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled breath.

Our proposed innovation is to improve the accuracy of this test by means of an oral drink which induces the cancer-associated microbiome to produce still greater quantities of the distinctive VOCs and thereby allow patients with non-specific symptoms, yet at a high-risk of oesophago-gastric cancer, to be referred faster and earlier for endoscopy.