saliva – Page 5 – Oral Cancer News

Nutritional sciences investigator wins NIH challenge grant

Source: uanews.org (University of Arizona) Author: Jeff Harrison Kirsten Limesand's research focuses on how to restore salivary gland function in cancer patients. Each year approximately 40,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with some form of head and neck cancer. The majority of those patients will have surgery to remove the tumors, followed by one or more rounds of radiation therapy to kill any lingering cancer cells. A common side effect of radiation to this area is damage to the adjacent, normal salivary glands. Patients commonly experience a dry mouth that can lead to oral sores and infections, cavities, difficulty chewing and swallowing food and loss of taste. Kirsten Limesand, an assistant professor of nutritional sciences in the University of Arizona College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, has received a two-year NIH Challenge Grant worth nearly $1 million to study this problem. Specifically, Limesand is examining the role of autophagy in salivary glands in response to radiation therapy. Autophagy is an ongoing process where cells digest and recycle their proteins and organelles. This helps starving cells break down and redirect components from non-essential to essential cell functions. The process and the mechanics behind it are not well understood, but autophagy appears to have some role in preventing and fighting disease and infection. It also, in some cases, could make those problems worse. Side effects from radiation therapy begin within a few days and can continue for one to two years. Because saliva is essential for maintaining oral health, salivary gland [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-04-14T07:19:19-07:00April, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Doctors using mouthwash to detect head, neck cancer

Source: www.king5.com Author: Jean Enersen For a patient with head and neck cancer, the cure rate is only 30 percent. That's because the disease is often detected in the late stages. Now catching the cancer earlier may be as simple as gargling with mouthwash. Edie Acosta's niece and nephew gave her the courage to fight neck cancer. "They cut from here, all the way down here," she said. On her neck, the scar marks where a stage four tumor was removed. "It seemed bigger and bigger 'til it got to the size of a fist, a man's fist," she said. "And I couldn't even move my neck. You feel like a little bird whose wings got cut and you can't fly anymore. I just, I thought I was really gonna die." For patients like Edie, late stage diagnosis makes treating neck cancer more difficult. Now, researchers have developed a quick, inexpensive mouthwash to detect these cancers earlier. The patient rinses with the saline mouthwash. After they spit it out, doctors add antibodies. In about 48 hours, if there's cancer detected in the saliva, the molecules show up in color. "We've found that these molecules show up differently in the oral rinses from patients that have cancer compared to patients that don't have cancer," said Dr. Elizabeth Franzmann, otolaryngologist, Sylvester Cancer Center at the University of Miami. In a study that included 102 head and neck cancer patients and 69 patients with benign disease, the oral rinse detected the cancer nearly [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-12-25T11:07:06-07:00December, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Saliva tests may help with disease diagnosis

Source: www.readingeagle.com Author: John Reitz, DDS The Dentist's Chair Jim: With the newly discovered connection between oral health and overall health, is there anything a dentist can tell about my overall health from looking in my mouth? Dr. Reitz: Dear Jim, a dentist can tell if you have gum disease and tooth decay by looking in your mouth, but to determine your overall health he may need a sample of your saliva. Instead of having just a blood test by your physician, your dentist will soon have the ability to diagnosis systemic disease by doing a saliva test. In dental school I was taught that saliva's function was to neutralize acids and help swallow food. We are now finding that saliva is more complex than originally thought, containing over 1,000 different proteins. The question now is why are the proteins there. Recent advances in technology have found saliva contains indicators, either genes or salivary proteins called biomarkers, of systemic disease. Of the 1,000 salivary proteins already identified, only specific proteins are found in patients with systemic disease. Research at the University of California, Los Angeles is expected to get Food and Drug Administration approval within two years for a saliva test that can detect pancreatic cancer. Other studies have found biomarkers for breast cancer, oral cancer, diabetes, arthritis, heart disease and autoimmune disorders. In addition to finding systemic diseases, saliva tests will determine a person's chances of getting tooth decay. Some promising studies have identified biomarkers for a predisposition to [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-11-02T11:20:17-07:00November, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Saliva test for microRNA could detect oral cancer

Source: www.medpagetoday.com Author: Chris Emery, Contributing Writer, MedPage Today Researchers say they have identified dozens of microRNAs in saliva, raising hopes that saliva tests could assist in early detection of oral cancers. Analyzing patient saliva with a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique, the researchers identified about 50 microRNAs -- molecules that halt mRNA translation and/or lead to mRNA degradation, according to a report in the Sept. 1 edition of Clinical Cancer Research. Of the miRNAs they found, a few were present at significantly lower levels in the saliva of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) than in control subjects (P<0.05). "Two of these miRNAs, miR-125a and miR-200a, are differentially expressed in the saliva of the OSCC patients compared with that of healthy controls," David T. Wong, DMD, DMSc, of the Los Angeles School of Dentistry, and colleagues wrote. "These findings suggest that the detection of miRNAs in saliva can be used as a noninvasive and rapid diagnostic tool for the diagnosis of oral cancer." The authors noted that OSCC is the sixth most common cancer in the U.S., accounting for 90% of oral cancers and leading to 8,000 deaths per year. "The average five-year survival rate for OSCC is [about] 50%," they wrote. "Shockingly, this number has not changed in last three decades. Therefore, an early detection method for OSCC is needed to increase long-term patient survival." Other recent studies have discovered hundreds of miRNAs in various organisms that play roles in cell growth, differentiation, apoptosis, stress response, immune [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-08-25T20:10:52-07:00August, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Médicos discutem a importância de novos exames de câncer de boca

Source: g1.globo.com Author: Laurie Tarkan Do 'New York Times' Apesar de relativamente raro, esse é um dos tipos de câncer mais fáceis de observar e diagnosticar. E, se tratado a tempo, é geralmente curável. Então, por que especialistas acham o câncer de boca tão problemático? Embora tenham ocorrido vários avanços na luta contra o câncer nas últimas décadas, as estatísticas sobre esse tipo da doença permanecem desalentadoras. Mais de 60% dos casos são diagnosticados nos estágios mais avançados, e a sobrevivência em cinco anos é de decepcionantes 59%. Além disso, o câncer de boca está aumentando em pessoas tradicionalmente de baixo risco, um fenômeno atribuído em parte ao aumento do papilomavírus humano, HPV, causador de câncer, que pode ser transmitido através do sexo oral. Agora, alguns dentistas – cujos exames visuais há tempos têm sido uma primeira linha de defesa contra o câncer de boca – estão usando aparelhos de imagem capazes, segundo eles, de ajudar a identificar cânceres e lesões pré-malignas. Porém, esses novos exames despertaram um debate sobre o custo-benefício. Especialistas estão divididos entre a possibilidade desses tais exames reduzirem a mortalidade por câncer de boca ou simplesmente levarem a uma onda de biópsias dispendiosas e desnecessárias. Números da doença Aproximadamente 35.300 americanos souberam ter câncer de boca no ano passado, e cerca de 7.600 morreram em decorrência da doença. Para os sobreviventes, o câncer de boca pode ser doloroso e desfigurador, e pode destruir a capacidade de saborear e apreciar alimentos. Considera-se que fumantes e pessoas que [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-02-05T15:07:48-07:00February, 2009|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|

Saliva Proteins May Help Spot Oral Cancer

Source: Smart Now Author: Krisha McCoy FRIDAY, Oct. 3 (HealthDay News) -- A simple test of saliva proteins may one day help doctors detect oral cancer, according to a new study in the Oct. 1 issue of Clinical Cancer Research. For their study, part of the U.S. National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research's Human Saliva Proteome Project, researchers collected saliva samples from 64 people with oral squamous cell carcinoma (a form of oral cancer) and 64 healthy people. Looking at five protein biomarkers in the saliva samples, the researchers determined that the biomarkers confirmed the presence of oral cancer 93 percent of the time. "This test is currently not available, but we are developing point-of-care microfluidic devices to detect these markers that we can use in clinical trials," Shen Hu, assistant professor of oral biology and proteomics at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Dentistry, said in an American Association for Cancer Research news release. This research may lead to a simple and noninvasive tool clinicians can use to diagnose oral cancer. "I believe a test measuring these biomarkers will come to a point of regular use in the future," said Hu. "We have demonstrated a new approach for cancer biomarker discovery using saliva proteomics." More information The Oral Cancer Foundation has more about oral cancer.

Webmaster2009-01-06T15:45:03-07:00January, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Saliva-test pioneer David Wong named to endowed chair in dentistry

Source: www.newsroom.ucla.edu Author: Sandra Shagat The UCLA School of Dentistry has named oral biology professor David Wong, a pioneer in the use of saliva for diagnosing cancer and other diseases, as the first holder of the Felix and Mildred Yip Endowed Professorship in Dentistry. The new chair, created by a $1 million gift from Dr. Felix Yip and his wife, Mildred, will support research on oral and head and neck cancers, an area of particular emphasis at the School of Dentistry. Wong has made major advances in the fight against oral cancer, having developed with colleagues the first standardized saliva-based test for the disease. His ongoing research in saliva diagnostics has helped build UCLA's reputation as a center for excellence in oral fluid research. "Felix and Mildred Yip are visionary donors who saw an opportunity to help advance a promising area of scientific research that ultimately could save lives," said No-Hee Park, dean of the UCLA School of Dentistry. "Their generous gift supports our efforts to make salivary diagnostics a new clinical paradigm for disease detection." The Yips are noted philanthropists within the Asian American community in Southern California and have been generous supporters of UCLA and the School of Dentistry. They are among a small group of Chinese-American philanthropists who have established chairs at UCLA. Felix Yip has served as a member of the School of Dentistry's board of counselors since 2003, and since 2002, the Yips have funded a scholarship program at the school that enables foreign scholars [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-12-02T14:11:07-07:00December, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Spit proteins could lead to oral cancer test

Source: www.canada.com Author: Maggie Fox A simple screen of proteins in human saliva was able to accurately detect a common type of oral cancer, a finding that may lead to a painless new diagnostic test, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday. The test can predict the mouth cancer in 93 percent of cases, a team at the University of California Los Angeles reported in the journal Clinical Cancer Research. It is among the first of a new set of spit-based diagnostic tests expected to arise from a protein map of human saliva developed by researchers at UCLA and other centers. The map, published in March, identified all 1,116 unique proteins found in human saliva glands. The latest findings focus on oral squamous cell carcinoma, which affects more than 300,000 people worldwide. More than 90 percent of cancers that start in the mouth are squamous cell cancers, according to the American Cancer Society. Researchers at UCLA's School of Dentistry collected saliva samples from 64 patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma and compared them with samples from 64 healthy patients. They found that five protein biomarkers -- M2BP, MRP14, CD59, profilin and catalase -- predicted oral cancer 93 percent of the time. "We have demonstrated a new approach for cancer biomarker discovery using saliva proteomics," said Shen Hu, who led the research. The UCLA team is developing devices to detect these markers that could be studied in human trials. "I believe a test measuring these biomarkers will come to a point of regular [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-10-02T07:04:32-07:00October, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Spit Sensor Spots Oral Cancer

Source: MIT Review (www.technologyreview.com) Author: Brittany Sauser An ultrasensitive optical protein sensor analyzes saliva. For the first time, an optical sensor, developed by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), can measure proteins in saliva that are linked to oral cancer. The device is highly sensitive, allowing doctors and dentists to detect the disease early, when patient survival rates are high. The researchers are currently working with the National Institute of Health (NIH) to push the technology to clinical tests so that it can be developed into a device that can be used in dentists' offices. Chih-Ming Ho, a scientist at UCLA and principal investigator for the sensor, says that it is a versatile instrument and can be used to detect other disease-specific biomarkers. When oral cancer is identified in its early stages, patient survival rate is almost 90 percent, compared with 50 percent when the disease is advanced, says Carter Van Waes, chief of head and neck surgery at the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD). The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be 35,310 new cases of oral cancer in the United States in 2008. Early forms are hard to detect just by visual examination of the mouth, says Van Waes, so physicians either have to perform a biopsy--remove tissue for testing--or analyze proteins in blood. Detecting cancer biomarkers in saliva would be a much easier test to perform, but it is also technically more challenging: protein markers are harder to spot [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-08-06T03:41:01-07:00August, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Scientists Develop Sensitive Salivary Sensor

Source: Kansas City Infozine (www.infozine.com) Author: staff For people who dislike needles, medical tests that require a drop of saliva instead of a vial of blood will one day make a trip to a doctor or dentist much easier. But as scientists now construct the first of these saliva tests for early signs of cancer and other diseases, they continue to push the technological envelope in interesting ways. As published in the August issue of the journal "Biosensors and Bioelectronics," a team of researchers supported by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), part of the National Institutes of Health, report they have developed an ultra-sensitive optical protein sensor, a first for a salivary diagnostic test. The sensor can be integrated into a specially designed lab-on-a-chip, or microchip assay, and preprogrammed to bind a specific protein of interest, generating a sustained fluorescent signal as the molecules attach. A microscope then reads the intensity of the fluorescent light -- a measure of the protein's cumulative concentration in the saliva sample -- and scientists gauge whether it corresponds with levels linked to developing disease. In their initial experiments, the scientists primed the optical protein sensor to detect the IL-8 protein, which at higher than normal concentration in saliva is linked to oral cancer. Using saliva samples from 20 people -- half healthy, the others diagnosed with oral cancer -- the sensor correctly distinguished in all cases between health and disease. Importantly, the sensor achieved a limit of detection for IL-8 [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-08-04T17:13:40-07:00August, 2008|Oral Cancer News|