Oral Cancer Detection Increased with Saliva Test
|
By LabMedica International staff writers Posted on 10 May 2012 |
|
A simple saliva test has been created which could identify the presence of biomarkers that are associated with oral cancer.
The easy, cost-effective saliva test to detect oral cancer would be a breakthrough that would drastically improve screening and result in fewer people dying of the world's sixth most common cancer.
A surgical team at Michigan State University (East Lansing, MI, USA) is teaming up with a local area dental benefits firm for a clinical trial of the saliva test that will aid physicians and dentists to know which patients need treatment and which ones could avoid needless and invasive biopsies. The scientists will be looking for certain biomarkers previously identified by researchers at the University of California (UCLA; Los Angeles, CA, USA). The biomarkers have been shown in studies to confirm the presence of oral cancer.
Barry Lloyd Wenig, MD, MPH, PhD, a professor of otolaryngology and lead investigator said, "Most white lesions are benign, so a majority of people who develop them are getting biopsies that are not needed. Conversely, a simple test would allow us to identify those patients with malignant lesions and get them into treatment quicker. These tests are as noninvasive as it gets; patients simply need to spit into a cup. The ease of the test will greatly expand our ability to effectively screen for the cancerous lesions. Right now, there are no early screenings available for most head and neck cancers."
Prof. Wenig is teaming up with Delta Dental (Okemos, MI, USA) which works with scientists from leading universities to monitor advances in science. Their chief science officer, Jed J. Jacobson, DDS, MPH, said, "The results of this trial could be life changing for many people. It is a tremendous opportunity for the dental community to participate in what could be a groundbreaking project.” Oral cancer has a poor survival rate linked to late detection; only 60% of patients live beyond five years after diagnosis. The survival rate is less than 38% among black males.
Related Links:
Michigan State University
University of California
Delta Dental
The easy, cost-effective saliva test to detect oral cancer would be a breakthrough that would drastically improve screening and result in fewer people dying of the world's sixth most common cancer.
A surgical team at Michigan State University (East Lansing, MI, USA) is teaming up with a local area dental benefits firm for a clinical trial of the saliva test that will aid physicians and dentists to know which patients need treatment and which ones could avoid needless and invasive biopsies. The scientists will be looking for certain biomarkers previously identified by researchers at the University of California (UCLA; Los Angeles, CA, USA). The biomarkers have been shown in studies to confirm the presence of oral cancer.
Barry Lloyd Wenig, MD, MPH, PhD, a professor of otolaryngology and lead investigator said, "Most white lesions are benign, so a majority of people who develop them are getting biopsies that are not needed. Conversely, a simple test would allow us to identify those patients with malignant lesions and get them into treatment quicker. These tests are as noninvasive as it gets; patients simply need to spit into a cup. The ease of the test will greatly expand our ability to effectively screen for the cancerous lesions. Right now, there are no early screenings available for most head and neck cancers."
Prof. Wenig is teaming up with Delta Dental (Okemos, MI, USA) which works with scientists from leading universities to monitor advances in science. Their chief science officer, Jed J. Jacobson, DDS, MPH, said, "The results of this trial could be life changing for many people. It is a tremendous opportunity for the dental community to participate in what could be a groundbreaking project.” Oral cancer has a poor survival rate linked to late detection; only 60% of patients live beyond five years after diagnosis. The survival rate is less than 38% among black males.
Related Links:
Michigan State University
University of California
Delta Dental
Platinum Member
Automated Coagulation Analyzer
Hemolumi H6
New
Gold Member
Fully-auto Specific Protein (Nephelometry) Analyzer
PA240
Chromogenic Culture System
InTray™ COLOREX™ ECC
New
Portable POCT Blood Gas Analyzer
BD100
Latest Pathology News
- New Journal Addresses Evolving Needs in Clinical and Translational Pathology
- AI Matches Pathologists in Predicting Breast Cancer Prognosis from Immune Cells
- AI-Pathologist Framework Improves Accuracy and Reliability in Cancer Diagnosis
- New Review Highlights Intelligent Agents as Next Step for Digital Pathology
- Simple Immunohistochemical Size Ratio Improves Classification of Primary Aldosteronism
- AI Links Organ-Specific Aging Patterns in Histology to Blood-Based Signals
- 30-Minute 3D Histology Tool Supports Intraoperative Glioma Margin Assessment
- AI Uses H&E Slides to Predict Key Biomarkers Across 32 Cancers
- AI Tool Identifies Slide Artifacts to Speed Digital Pathology Diagnosis
- FDA-Cleared Digital Pathology Platform Expands Interoperability for Primary Diagnosis
- AI Pathology Tool Predicts Relapse Risk in Stage II Colorectal Cancer
- AI Pathology Tool Stratifies Rectal Cancer to Guide Chemoradiotherapy
- PD-L1 Assay Guides Pembrolizumab Eligibility in Ovarian, Fallopian Tube, and Peritoneal Cancers
- AI Digital Pathology Platform Standardizes IHC Scoring in Breast Cancer
- AI Bone Marrow Mapping Provides New Tool to Track Blood Cancer Severity
- Digital Pathology Tool Predicts Breast Cancer Outcomes and Therapy Response
Channels
Clinical Chemistry
view channel
NIH-Funded Study Targets Saliva-Based Long COVID Diagnosis
Long COVID presents with heterogeneous, persistent symptoms that complicate clinical assessment and case definition. A lack of a definitive diagnostic test forces clinicians to exclude alternative etiologies... Read more
Validated Biomarker Blood Test Detects Early Lung Cancer and Supports Risk Assessment
Lung cancer is often diagnosed at advanced stages because symptoms typically appear late, while participation in low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening remains low. Imaging can also produce false-positive... Read more
Machine Learning Model Uses Routine Lab Tests to Support Heart Failure Classification
Accurately distinguishing heart failure phenotypes is important for guiding imaging and treatment decisions in hospital care, but phenotyping usually depends on echocardiography, which may not be immediately... Read more
Molecular Diagnostics
view channel
Single-Tube CRISPR Test Detects Pathogens and Genetic Variants in 30 Minutes
Rapid, accurate detection of infectious agents and single-nucleotide variants remains difficult to deliver outside centralized laboratories. Although multi-step nucleic acid workflows are sensitive, they... Read more
New Blood RNA Markers Help Advance Precision Medicine for Respiratory Patients
Risk stratification in hospitalized respiratory disease, particularly among older adults with COVID-19, remains challenging despite rich clinical datasets. Blood-based non-coding RNA biomarkers are promising,... Read more
Hematology
view channel
New Genetic Findings Reveal Cause of Bone Marrow Failure Syndrome
Inherited bone marrow failure syndromes (IBMFS) impair the bone marrow’s ability to produce sufficient healthy blood cells and are associated with an increased risk of early-onset myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).... Read more
Ultra-Portable Device Enables Finger-Prick Blood Testing at Home
Patients who need frequent blood tests often face repeated clinic visits that burden services and disrupt care. In the UK, millions of tests are performed each year to diagnose disease, guide therapy,... Read more
Immunology
view channel
Temporal Immune Profiling Reveals How Sepsis States Change Over Time
Sepsis is a life-threatening condition in which the immune response to infection becomes dysregulated, leading to rapid organ failure and death. Although antimicrobials and organ support remain standard... Read more
Study Identifies Immune Cells That Drive Harmful Autoantibody Responses in COVID-19
Autoantibodies that mistakenly attack the body’s own tissues have been linked to severe COVID-19, Long COVID, and increased risk of autoimmune disease. However, the origins of these autoantibodies during... Read more
Microbiology
view channel
New Diagnostic Workflow Identifies Bloodstream Pathogens and Antibiotic Response in Hours
Sepsis is a life-threatening complication of infection that affects more than 1.5 million patients annually in the United States and contributes to roughly one in three in-hospital deaths.... Read more
Genetic Marker Identifies Emerging Resistance to Frontline Malaria Drugs
Artemisinin-based combination therapy remains central to controlling Plasmodium falciparum malaria, but emerging drug resistance is complicating treatment and surveillance. In Uganda and across sub-Saharan... Read more
Technology
view channel
Bacterial Vesicle Expression System Streamlines Production of Cancer Diagnostic Proteins
Recombinant proteins are central to many cancer diagnostics and therapies, but numerous targets remain difficult and costly to produce because they are unstable, toxic to microbial hosts, or require precise folding.... Read more
Autonomous Robotic System Receives FDA Authorization for Blood Collection
Venipuncture is central to many diagnostic pathways, but routine blood collection can be affected by staffing constraints and procedural variability that influence consistency and patient experience.... Read more
Industry
view channel
Natera ctDNA Test to Support Response Monitoring in Solid Tumor Trial
ANatera’s Signatera test will be used in a partnership with Angiex to evaluate patients receiving AGX101, a Nuclear-Delivered Antibody-Drug Conjugate (ND-ADC) in a Phase I clinical trial.... Read more
