“Our findings may someday allow doctors to screen for and diagnose skin cancers at very early stages,” said Michelle Gallagher, PhD.

It turns out that skin produces airborne chemical molecules known as volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, many of which have a scent. In the study presented at the conference, the researchers took VOC profiles from basal cell carcinoma sites in 11 patients and compared them to profiles from similar skin sites in 11 healthy persons.

Both profiles contained the same array of chemicals; the difference involved the amounts. Some chemical quantities increased and others decreased in samples from basal cell carcinoma sites.

To identify changes that were the tell-tale signs of cancer, researchers identified a normative profile for VOCs, which varied based on age, gender and area of the body being examined.

In research published online in the British Journal of Dermatology, Gallagher and his colleagues sampled air above two skin sites – forearm and upper back – in 25 healthy male and female subjects. They ranged in age from 19 to 79.

The researchers identified nearly 100 different chemical compounds coming from skin. A normal skin profile varied between the two body sites, with differences in both the types and concentrations of VOCs. Aging did not influence the types of VOCs found in these profiles; however, certain chemicals were present in greater amounts in older subjects.

Implications of the research are considered to be vast. Together, the two studies may help advance development of new methods to analyze skin for signs of altered health status.

Increased understanding of the chemicals related to skin odor could also lead to development of more effective anti-aging skin care products.

Monell