Is a breath test for colon cancer possible?

Our take: There are multiple ways to be tested for colon cancer, yet about 40 percent of Americans aren't getting screened, according to Amy Norton, journalist for U.S. News. But perhaps more would be screened if they knew their breath could be another way to conduct a test. Norton explains the possibilities:

"If colon cancer screening was as easy as taking a breath, more people might do it. Now, a small pilot study suggests such a test could be developed.

The study, of 78 people with and without colon cancer, found that those with the disease tended to have a distinct pattern of chemicals in their breath. And when researchers analyzed the study participants' breath samples, they correctly identified the colon cancer patients 76 percent of the time."

Read more about Breath test for colon cancer on U.S. News.