MOUTHWASH DETECTS HEAD AND NECK CANCER

A mouthwash-based test to detect biomarkers can help physicians to predict disease recurrence in head and neck cancer patients.

A new study by researchers at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and UC San Diego Health, published in the peer-reviewed journal JAMA Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery, could improve how physicians predict and detect recurrence with these cancers.

The study suggests biomarker detection in saliva collected from an oral rinse after initial treatment offers potential to readily assess recurrence risk.

The researchers found a link with two key biomarkers – CD44, a tumor-initiating molecule, and total protein levels.
In this new study, theu studied whether those two biomarkers could predict recurrence in already-diagnosed patients. Their clinical trial evaluated the effects of CD44 and total protein levels in 160-plus patients across multiple cancer centers. Patients were provided oral-rinse samples for use up to 18 months after their initial treatment.

Compared to patients with normal protein levels three months after treatment, patients with about twice as much total protein had an estimated 65% greater risk of recurrence. Patients with CD44 levels that were triple the normal level had an estimated 62% percent greater recurrence risk.

Biomarkers show great promise for refining risk prediction in patients with head and neck cancers. Better risk prediction, in turn, has the potential to save lives by reducing the need for harsh, invasive treatments.

Source: University of Miami Miller School of Medicine