Method for detection of hepatocellar carcinoma (HCC) using an octanoate breath test

1. A method for detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in a subject, the method comprising the steps of:

(i) administering an isotope-labeled octanoate to the subject;

(ii) measuring a level of an isotope-labeled metabolic product of octanoate in exhaled breath of the subject following administration of the isotope-labeled octanoate;

(iii) comparing the measured level of isotope-labeled metabolic product of octanoate in the subject to a reference level; and

(iv) detecting hepatocellular carcinoma based on the measured level of isotope-labeled metabolic product of octanoate; wherein a significantly decreased level of isotope-labeled metabolic product of octanoate is indicative of active hepatocellular carcinoma; and wherein detecting hepatocellular carcinoma comprises distinguishing between impaired liver function caused by fibrosis or cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said reference octanoate metabolism is a control octanoate metabolism determined in subjects not afflicted with HCC.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising distinguishing between active and inactive hepatocellular carcinoma based on said comparing of the measured level of isotope-labeled metabolic product of octanoate to the reference level.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of measuring is performed by continuous measurement over a predetermined period of time following a single administration of a labeled octanoate.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of breath samples is collected from the subject at periodic intervals over a predetermined period of time following a single administration of a labeled octanoate.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the isotope-labeled metabolic product is CO 2 .

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the isotope-labeled octanoate is selected from the group consisting of carbon-13, carbon-14 and oxygen-18.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of comparing octanoate metabolism in the subject to a reference octanoate metabolism comprises generating at least one of a delta over baseline (DOB) curve, a percentage dose recovery (PDR) curve and a cumulative PDR (CPDR) curve for the subject, and comparing at least one parameter of said DOB, PDR or CPDR to at least one parameter of reference DOB, PDR, CPDR curves and a combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the step of comparing octanoate metabolism in the subject to a reference octanoate metabolism comprises generating a PDR curve and comparing at least one parameter of said PDR curve to at least one parameter of a reference PDR, wherein the at least one parameter is selected from the group consisting of peak height, time of appearance of the peak and the slope of rate of metabolism.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the parameter is selected from peak height and time to peak, and wherein a decreased peak height is indicative of HCC and a longer time to peak is indicative of HCC.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one parameter is selected from one or more PDR (% dose/hr) values at selected time points, one or more CPDR values at selected time points and one or more DOB values at selected time points, and wherein decreased PDR, CPDR and/or DOB values at the selected time points are indicative of HCC.

12. The method of claim 1 , comprising performing a first evaluation of the liver function by monitoring an isotope-labeled metabolic product of octanoate in exhaled breath of the subject following a first administration of an isotope-labeled octanoate, and performing a second evaluation of liver function after a predetermined period of time by monitoring an isotope-labeled metabolic product of octanoate in exhaled breath of the subject following a second administration of an isotope-labeled octanoate.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the step of performing a second evaluation after a predetermined period of time is repeated a multiplicity of times.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising normalization of the values obtained in step (ii) according to disease etiology.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the disease etiology is selected from the group consisting of NASH and NAFLD.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising normalization of the values obtained in step (ii) according to one or more blood test results.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the one or more blood tests are selected from the group consisting of fasting glucose levels, insulin levels, ALT levels, AST levels, ALP levels, GGTP levels, bilirubin levels, albumin levels and sodium levels.

18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising normalizing measured levels of the isotope-labeled metabolic product based on a treatment that the subject is receiving or has received.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the treatment is sorafenib administration.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subject is selected from the group consisting of a subject who is at risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma, a subject who is suspected of having hepatocellular carcinoma, a subject who is afflicted with hepatocellular carcinoma that has not undergone treatment, and a subject who is afflicted with hepatocellular carcinoma that has undergone or is undergoing treatment.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the treatment of the subject that has undergone or is undergoing treatment is other than surafenib administration.

22. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subject has at least one chronic liver disease.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the chronic liver disease is selected from the group consisting of NASH, NAFLD, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and cirrhosis due to any etiology.

24. The method of claim 22 , wherein the chronic liver disease is other than NASH or NAFLD.

25. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of monitoring total CO 2 in exhaled breath of the subject.

26. The method of claim 1 , wherein said isotope-labeled octanoate is administered orally, intravenously or intra nasally.