DT News - UK - New gene test enables early oral cancer detection

Dental Tribune International

Mon. 15 October 2012

save

LONDON – Researchers from Queen Mary, University of London, have developed a new gene test that detects precancerous cells in patients with mouth lesions. They think that the test could offer the possibility of early and less invasive treatments, improving the quality of life and chance of survival of mouth cancer patients significantly.

According to the researchers, 30 per cent of mouth lesions turn into cancers. To date, however, there has been no test available to detect accurately which lesions might become cancerous for early treatment.

The newly developed quantitative Malignancy Index Diagnostic System measures the levels of 16 genes that are highly expressed in many cancer types. Their mRNA expression levels are translated via a diagnostic algorithm into a metric scoring system, which quantifies the risk of the lesion becoming cancerous.

In preliminary studies of 299 hospital patients in Norway and the UK, the test detected 91 to 94 per cent of cancer cases from 359 head and neck tissue specimens.

Compared with conventional histopathology, the new test is less invasive because it requires only a 1 to 2 mm piece of tissue and can provide results within less than three hours. Histopathology involves tissue biopsy and pathological examination, may take up to a week to yield results, and detects mouth cancer at a much later stage.

“Detecting cancer early, coupled with appropriate treatment can improve patients’ outcomes significantly, reduce mortality and alleviate long-term public health care costs,” said Dr Muy-Teck Teh, lead investigator and inventor of the test.

In addition, the researchers demonstrated that the system could be used for diagnosing cancer in patients with suspicious skin and vulva lesions, illustrating its potential clinical use for other cancer types.

The diagnostic test requires further clinical investigation to evaluate its long-term benefits for oral cancer patients, the researchers conclude.

The study was published online on 4 October in the International Journal of Cancer ahead of print.

To post a reply please login or register

Novel PCR test expected to improve oral cancer detection and treatment

LONDON, UK: Seeking to improve oral cancer detection and treatment, researchers from Queen Mary University of London have developed the first polymerase ...

New HPV test may improve oral cancer treatment

LIVERPOOL – Owing to the absence of a uniform testing standard within the NHS, researchers have analysed a new test developed to classify ...

Novel technology may improve early detection of mouth and throat cancer

DURHAM, N.C., U.S./BIRMINGHAM, U.K.: Cancers that occur in the back of the mouth or in the upper throat are difficult to spot and, as a result, are often ...

New breath test diagnoses oesophageal and gastric cancer

LONDON, UK: An international team of researchers has developed a breath test that could help doctors diagnose the early signs of oesophageal and gastric ...

New at-home test for gingivitis

Engineers have developed a new device that can warn patients about early risks of tooth decay from diseases such as gingivitis and periodontitis.

Oral cancer patient sues dentist

MANCHESTER – A woman from Manchester has sued her dentist for failing to diagnose her oral cancer. The 58-year-old was referred to the dentist for ...

Breath test could help detect stomach and oesophageal cancer

LONDON, UK/AMSTERDAM, Netherlands: A test that measures the levels of five chemicals in the breath has shown promising results for the detection of cancers ...

National campaign to address early-life oral health crisis

MANCHESTER, UK: According to figures from the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, four in five children under 2 years of ...

Eating vegetables could reduce oral cancer risk

RUGBY, UK: In a large series of studies conducted in Italy and Switzerland, researchers have found that people who ate green vegetables were less likely to ...

Education

Live webinar
Fri. 19 July 2024
1:00 am UTC (London)