New painless brush test can detect oral cancer in one hour
Researchers have developed a brush swab test that can detect oral cancer in about an hour. The non-invasive method could reduce unnecessary biopsies and help doctors monitor risky lesions earlier.
A new, non-invasive brush test can detect oral cancer in as little as one hour, offering a faster and less painful alternative to the surgical biopsies currently used to diagnose the disease.
Developed by researchers led by Queen Mary University of London, the test uses a simple brush swab to collect cells from a suspicious mouth lesion.
Researchers say it could prevent more than 90% of unnecessary scalpel biopsies, which can be painful, increase the risk of infection and, in some parts of the mouth such as the gums, may damage nearby teeth or bone.
Oral cancer is a growing global health concern. Around 650,000 people are diagnosed with the disease worldwide each year.
Major risk factors include tobacco use, smoking, alcohol consumption, infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV), and prolonged sun exposure.
Many patients are diagnosed only after the cancer has reached an advanced stage, reducing their chances of survival.
The latest study, one of the largest of its kind, analysed more than 1,000 samples from 545 patients to evaluate the new brush biopsy test, known as qMIDS-V3.
Researchers found that the test accurately identified oral squamous cell carcinoma while sparing more than 90% of patients with low-risk oral lesions from undergoing unnecessary invasive tissue biopsies.
"Oral cancer survival is directly linked to how early it is found, yet our current diagnostic pathway is blunt," said Muy-Teck Teh, the study's lead researcher.
"Most patients with a suspicious lesion end up having an invasive biopsy even when the overwhelming likelihood is that it is benign. This test gives clinicians a rapid, accurate and non-invasive way to triage patients. Because it can be repeated, we can monitor patients with persistent pre-cancerous lesions regularly and detect cancers much earlier," he said.
Unlike conventional biopsies, which require removing a small piece of tissue, the new test collects only surface cells using a soft brush. Results are available within an hour.
The researchers said they were surprised that the brush test performed almost as well as an earlier version that required a tiny tissue sample.
"We were genuinely astonished that the brush swab test performed comparably to a microbiopsy," Teh said. "Patients no longer need even a minimally invasive procedure to benefit from molecularly guided triage."
The test could also be used to monitor people with oral potentially malignant disorders over time, helping doctors detect cancers at an earlier stage without subjecting patients to repeated surgical biopsies.
The international research team included scientists from All India Institute of Medical Sciences, King George's Medical University and Modern Dental College & Research Centre.
The researchers are now looking for a commercial partner to bring the inexpensive test into clinical practice.
If development progresses as planned, they estimate it could become available for patient use within the next two years.
A new, non-invasive brush test can detect oral cancer in as little as one hour, offering a faster and less painful alternative to the surgical biopsies currently used to diagnose the disease.
Developed by researchers led by Queen Mary University of London, the test uses a simple brush swab to collect cells from a suspicious mouth lesion.
Researchers say it could prevent more than 90% of unnecessary scalpel biopsies, which can be painful, increase the risk of infection and, in some parts of the mouth such as the gums, may damage nearby teeth or bone.
Oral cancer is a growing global health concern. Around 650,000 people are diagnosed with the disease worldwide each year.
Major risk factors include tobacco use, smoking, alcohol consumption, infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV), and prolonged sun exposure.
Many patients are diagnosed only after the cancer has reached an advanced stage, reducing their chances of survival.
The latest study, one of the largest of its kind, analysed more than 1,000 samples from 545 patients to evaluate the new brush biopsy test, known as qMIDS-V3.
Researchers found that the test accurately identified oral squamous cell carcinoma while sparing more than 90% of patients with low-risk oral lesions from undergoing unnecessary invasive tissue biopsies.
"Oral cancer survival is directly linked to how early it is found, yet our current diagnostic pathway is blunt," said Muy-Teck Teh, the study's lead researcher.
"Most patients with a suspicious lesion end up having an invasive biopsy even when the overwhelming likelihood is that it is benign. This test gives clinicians a rapid, accurate and non-invasive way to triage patients. Because it can be repeated, we can monitor patients with persistent pre-cancerous lesions regularly and detect cancers much earlier," he said.
Unlike conventional biopsies, which require removing a small piece of tissue, the new test collects only surface cells using a soft brush. Results are available within an hour.
The researchers said they were surprised that the brush test performed almost as well as an earlier version that required a tiny tissue sample.
"We were genuinely astonished that the brush swab test performed comparably to a microbiopsy," Teh said. "Patients no longer need even a minimally invasive procedure to benefit from molecularly guided triage."
The test could also be used to monitor people with oral potentially malignant disorders over time, helping doctors detect cancers at an earlier stage without subjecting patients to repeated surgical biopsies.
The international research team included scientists from All India Institute of Medical Sciences, King George's Medical University and Modern Dental College & Research Centre.
The researchers are now looking for a commercial partner to bring the inexpensive test into clinical practice.
If development progresses as planned, they estimate it could become available for patient use within the next two years.
