Oral Bacteria May Diagnose Pancreatic Cancer
|
By LabMedica International staff writers Posted on 04 Jun 2014 |
|
Image: The anaerobic bacteria Leptotrichia species, Gram-stain from blood culture (Photo courtesy of Mike Dyall-Smith).
Patients with pancreatic cancer have a different and distinct profile of specific bacteria in their saliva compared to healthy controls and even patients with other cancers or pancreatic diseases.
Patients diagnosed in the early stages of pancreatic cancer have a 5-year survival rate of 21.5%, but unfortunately symptoms do not appear until after the cancer has become untreatable in the vast majority of cases.
Scientists from San Diego State University (CA, USA) compared the diversity of saliva bacteria across 131 patients, 63 females and 68 males, being treated at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Moores Cancer Center (La Jolla, CA, USA). Of these patients, 14 had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, 13 with pancreatic disease, 22 with other forms of cancer, and 10 were disease free.
The results of the study found that patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer had higher levels of two particular oral bacteria, Leptotrichia and Campylobacter, when compared to any other healthy or diseased state including noncancerous pancreatic disease. Those with pancreatic cancer also had lower levels of Streptococcus, Treponema, and Veillonella. These findings could form the basis for a test to diagnose the pancreatic cancer in its early stages.
Pedro Torres, BS, the coauthor of the study with Scott T. Kelley, PhD, said, “Our studies suggest that ratios of particular types of bacteria found in saliva may be indicative of pancreatic cancer. The results also suggest the presence of a consistently distinct microbial profile for pancreatic cancer. We may be able to detect pancreatic cancer at its early stages by taking individuals’ saliva and looking at the ratios of these bacteria.”
In the USA, approximately 40,000 people die every year due to pancreatic adenocarcinoma, making it the fourth leading cause of cancer related death. The study was presented on May 18, 2014, at the Annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology held May 17–20, 2014, in Boston (MA, USA).
Related Links:
San Diego State University
Moores Cancer Center
Patients diagnosed in the early stages of pancreatic cancer have a 5-year survival rate of 21.5%, but unfortunately symptoms do not appear until after the cancer has become untreatable in the vast majority of cases.
Scientists from San Diego State University (CA, USA) compared the diversity of saliva bacteria across 131 patients, 63 females and 68 males, being treated at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Moores Cancer Center (La Jolla, CA, USA). Of these patients, 14 had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, 13 with pancreatic disease, 22 with other forms of cancer, and 10 were disease free.
The results of the study found that patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer had higher levels of two particular oral bacteria, Leptotrichia and Campylobacter, when compared to any other healthy or diseased state including noncancerous pancreatic disease. Those with pancreatic cancer also had lower levels of Streptococcus, Treponema, and Veillonella. These findings could form the basis for a test to diagnose the pancreatic cancer in its early stages.
Pedro Torres, BS, the coauthor of the study with Scott T. Kelley, PhD, said, “Our studies suggest that ratios of particular types of bacteria found in saliva may be indicative of pancreatic cancer. The results also suggest the presence of a consistently distinct microbial profile for pancreatic cancer. We may be able to detect pancreatic cancer at its early stages by taking individuals’ saliva and looking at the ratios of these bacteria.”
In the USA, approximately 40,000 people die every year due to pancreatic adenocarcinoma, making it the fourth leading cause of cancer related death. The study was presented on May 18, 2014, at the Annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology held May 17–20, 2014, in Boston (MA, USA).
Related Links:
San Diego State University
Moores Cancer Center
Platinum Member
Automated Coagulation Analyzer
Hemolumi H6
Gold Member
Flocked Fiber Swabs
Puritan® Patented HydraFlock®
Food Allergy Screening ELISA Kit
Allerquant 14G B ELISA
Urine Analyzer
respons® UDS100
Latest Pathology News
- 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
- AI Tissue Imaging Helps Guide Targeted Therapy for Lung Cancer
- Imaging Platform Maps Lipid Accumulations in Fabry Heart Tissue
- Tissue-Based Gene Signature Signals Colorectal Cancer Recurrence Risk
- FDA-Approved Companion Diagnostic Detects PTEN Loss in Prostate Cancer
- New AI Test Delivers Rapid Breast Cancer Recurrence Predictions
- EBV Status Helps Predict Survival in Primary CNS Lymphoma
- AI Pathology Tool Predicts Immunotherapy Response in Rare Cancers
Channels
Clinical Chemistry
view channel
Blood Biomarker Study Reveals Population-Specific Differences in Alzheimer’s Disease
Blood-based biomarkers are emerging as tools for detecting Alzheimer’s disease–related changes without relying on advanced brain imaging or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis. However, much of the foundational... Read more
New Chairside Oral Swab Test Could Guide Biopsy Decisions in Oral Cancer
Oral squamous cell carcinoma can be difficult to triage at the point of care, resulting in frequent biopsies of lesions that ultimately prove benign. Limited access to pathology services in many communities... Read more
Molecular Diagnostics
view channel
Blood Test for Lung Cancer Screening Receives FDA Breakthrough Device Designation
Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death in the United States, yet only about 18% of people eligible for screening undergo low-dose computed tomography, the current guideline-recommended method.... Read more
Sequencing-Based Newborn Screening Identifies Pediatric Cancer Risk at Birth
Newborn screening in the United States relies on heel-stick blood spots to identify rare, treatable disorders through biochemical testing, but these programs generally do not assess inherited cancer risk... 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
Immune Biomarkers May Predict Recurrent Checkpoint Inhibitor Arthritis
Inflammatory arthritis is a recognized immune-related adverse event in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) for cancer. Between 20% and 50% of affected patients experience more than... Read more
Immune Cell Blood Test May Predict Melanoma Immunotherapy Response
Melanoma remains one of the deadliest skin cancers, although outcomes improve markedly when the disease is detected early. Immunotherapy has extended survival for many patients with advanced melanoma,... Read more
Pathology
view channel
AI Uses H&E Slides to Predict Key Biomarkers Across 32 Cancers
Molecular profiling is essential for characterizing solid tumors, but many laboratories still rely on separate genetic assays to detect alterations such as TP53 mutations. These workflows can be resource-intensive... Read more
AI Tool Identifies Slide Artifacts to Speed Digital Pathology Diagnosis
Pathology laboratories face growing case volumes, staffing pressures, and increasing diagnostic complexity that can delay results. At the same time, whole-slide images may contain quality defects such... Read more
FDA-Cleared Digital Pathology Platform Expands Interoperability for Primary Diagnosis
Rising cancer incidence is colliding with a shrinking pathologist workforce, intensifying pressure on diagnostic turnaround times in clinical laboratories. Many labs are adopting digital pathology to manage... Read more
Technology
view channel
Interoperable Data Platform Standardizes Multi-Cancer Blood Test Results
Proteotype Diagnostics has introduced Alchemi, a proprietary data and clinical workflow platform being developed for Enlighten, the company’s investigational blood-based multi-cancer test.... Read more
Training Device Improves Accuracy of Pooled Molecular Diagnostics
High-throughput molecular diagnostics have transformed infectious disease detection, but many workflows remain difficult to execute accurately without extensive training. Sample pooling can cut per‑test... Read more
New CE-Certified Software Advances Whole-Genome Cancer Testing
European hospitals are increasingly using comprehensive tumor genomics to guide therapy, but routine whole genome sequencing (WGS) requires validated, regulation-compliant workflows. A newly CE-certified... Read more
National Rare Disease Registry Standardizes Genetic and Clinical Data for Coordinated Care
Rare diseases collectively impose a significant clinical burden despite their individual rarity, often involving multisystem presentations and prolonged diagnostic journeys. Limited specialist expertise... Read moreIndustry
view channel
Collaboration Supports Global ADC Development with AI-Powered Tissue Analysis
Selecting patients for antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) increasingly requires broader tissue context, as target expression alone may not fully explain therapeutic response. Laboratories and translational... Read more
Standardized Staining Technology Advances Digital Pathology Workflows
Digital pathology is increasingly used to streamline cancer diagnostics, yet staining variability can hinder slide interpretation and limit the reliability of artificial intelligence tools.... Read more
Global Testing Service Advances Leukemia MRD Monitoring
KMT2A rearrangements drive aggressive subsets of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and are associated with relapse and poor outcomes. As menin inhibitors enter clinical... Read more