U.S. researchers have found a possible new method of diagnosing breast cancer, simply using a saliva sample from patients, according to research published in the latest issue of General Dentistry, the Academy of General Dentistry's clinical, peer-reviewed journal.

Researchers found that the protein levels in saliva have great potential to assist in the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up care of breast cancer. And general dentists are perfect candidates to assist with these diagnosis samples because they can easily remove saliva from a patient's mouth during routine visits.

AGD's Vice-President Paula Jones says, "Since a patient visits the dentist more frequently than their physician, it makes sense that this diagnostic tool could be very effective in the hands of the general dentist."

Salivary testing has some advantages over blood testing. Saliva is a clear, colorless liquid, while blood undergoes changes in color, which might affect test results. Saliva collection is safe (no needle punctures), non-invasive, and can be collected without causing a patient any pain.

This method of early diagnosis is not yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). If it does receive approval, dentists and physicians could use it to collaboratively diagnose breast cancer.

But Dr. Jones also warns that this is not the only means of diagnosis. "It would not eliminate the need for regular mammogram screening or blood analysis; it would just be a first line of defense for women," she says. "For example, if the salivary screening did show a positive result, a mammogram or other imaging test would be necessary to determine in which breast the cancer was located."

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among women in the United States. In 2006, the American Cancer Society estimated that there would be 212,920 new cases of invasive breast cancer, and in that year 40,970 women would die from it. Many women's lives could be saved if this cancer was diagnosed earlier, and early diagnosis could be achieved if there were more and easier opportunities to do so.

Source: Xinhua