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.

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Michigan State University
University of California
Delta Dental