Volatile organic compounds of lung cancer and possible biochemical pathways

An emerging approach for diagnosing LC relies on volatile organic compounds (VOC), viz. organic compounds with relatively high vapor pressure or volatility, that can be detected in the headspace of cancer cells or blood samples, and/or in the exhaled breath. Identification, separation, and integration of the peaks in measured chromatograms for each sample. This might involve the use of Gaussian and non-Gaussian peak-fitting software, algorithms for the numerical calculation of the peak area, and algorithms for background compensation. Using internal standards might improve the reliability of the results, allowing a compensation of spectral shifts prior to the peak integration. The available statistical tests differ in the assumptions concerning the tested groups or populations: Gaussian and non-Gaussian populations, paired and unpaired groups, comparison between two or more groups.