Volatile organic compounds in breath can serve as a non-invasive diagnostic biomarker for the detection of advanced adenomas and colorectal cancer.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer diagnosis in the Western world.

Aim: To evaluate exhaled volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as a non-invasive biomarker for the detection of CRC and precursor lesions using an electronic nose.

Methods: In this multicentre study adult colonoscopy patients, without inflammatory bowel disease or (previous) malignancy, were invited for breath analysis.