A breath test that can sniff-out cancer is a step closer to reality, according to a preliminary study.
Researchers found an "electronic nose" was able to identify chemical signals of cancer in the breath of patients with lung or head and neck cancer.
A cancer charity said it would take years of research to see if the breath test could be used in the clinic.
About 80 volunteers took part in the Israeli research, published in the British Journal of Cancer.
Of these 22 had various head-and-neck cancers, 24 had lung cancer and 36 were healthy.
The prototype breath test uses a chemical method to spot markers of cancer present in the breath.
The hope is that one day such a test could be used in a GP's surgery to give an instant diagnosis.
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Researchers at the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology - are working on a device called the nano artificial nose.
