Saliva, swab can help early detection of oral cancer: IIT Indore researchers

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology IIT Indore claimed to have developed a noninvasive technique that can detect early signs of oral cancer using only saliva and a swab sample from the inner surface of the mouthThe researchers plan to validate the findings in larger and more diverse groups of patients and then develop targeted easytouse tests that can be brought into routine clinical practice officials said on ThursdayThe technologys key strengths are that it is pointofcare economical quick and noninvasive qualities that matter greatly in a country where access to specialist cancer diagnostics is still limited outside big cities according to the researchersAt present doctors confirm oral cancer through a biopsy which involves removing a tissue sample from the affected part of the mouthAccording to researchers the procedure can be painful and repeated biopsies are not practical In contrast the new technique requires no invasive procedure and could offer a lowcost and rapid screening methodThis could also help make early oral cancer screening more accessible in remote and rural areas they said in a statementThe study looked at two conditions oral squamous cell carcinoma the most common form of oral cancer and oral submucous fibrosis which often develops among people who chew areca nut gutkha or tobacco and can eventually turn cancerousResearchers found that saliva carries chemical signals from everything happening inside the mouth and a soft swab of the oral lining picks up cells and proteins directly from the tissue itselfUsing an advanced lab technique called liquid chromatographymass spectrometry the researchers compared samples from healthy individuals patients with oral submucous fibrosis and patients with oral cancer They found distinctive changes in how the body handles fat energy oxidative stress tissue repair and immune activity changes that showed up before the disease became visible to the naked eye they saidBy putting the saliva findings and the swab findings together the team was able to build a much fuller picture of how healthy tissue slowly turns into a precancerous lesion and eventually cancer the statement saidThe technique has been developed under the leadership of IIT Indore professor Hem Chandra JhaOral cancer leaves molecular footprints in saliva and on the oral mucosal surface before it becomes clinically obvious Our aim is to convert these noninvasive signals into practical tools for earlier detection and better monitoring of highrisk oral lesions Jha saidThe findings have been published in the British Journal of Cancer A patent application for the technology has also been filed and is under processThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever