Researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston have described a test that can identify the presence of proteins in salivary gland secretions that provide a pointer to non-invasive diagnosis of breast cancer.

The researchers analyzed the salivary secretions of 30 patients with and without breast cancer. Overall they found 49 proteins, which were pivotal in distinguishing those who had breast cancer from those who did not have the condition.

“Most folks, especially women and children, visit the dental office way more often than they ever see the physician. Saliva is a non-invasive, quicker way for detection," said lead researcher Charles Streckfus, D.D.S professor of diagnostic sciences at the University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston.

William Dubinsky, Ph.D., a biochemist and professor of integrative biology and pharmacology at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, who is the co-author of the study felt that saliva held the key to diagnosing many medical conditions at an early stage.

More importantly the test has the ability to differentiate benign tumors from malignant breast cancer. This is important because currently only biopsies can perform this function. The details of the study appear in the journal Cancer Investigation.

John McDevitt, professor of chemistry and biochemistry at UT Austin is leading the McDevitt Group in its collaboration with Streckfus and his colleagues to develop a diagnostic tool that may one day help dentists diagnose the presence of breast cancer in its early stages.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women and is the second leading cause of cancer death in women. The American Cancer Society estimated that last year there were about 178,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer in the country.

Currently available methods of diagnosing the disease include MRI, mammography and biopsy.
 

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