How a lollipop can help recognize the first signs of oral cancer
- Scientists hope it will speed up diagnoses that affect 9,000 people every year
A lollipop that absorbs tumor-related proteins from saliva could shorten the time it takes to diagnose oral cancer.
When the fruit-flavoured sweet, being developed by scientists at the University of Birmingham, is sucked for just a few minutes, the proteins – released by oral cancer cells as they grow and spread – become ‘stuck’ in the special gel coating.
The gel is then irradiated with ultraviolet light (which breaks it down into a liquid) to release its charge, allowing doctors to see if there is a tumor within minutes.
The researchers hope the lollipop will speed up the diagnosis of oral cancer – or could even be used to screen for tumors in those most at risk, such as people who smoke or drink large amounts of alcohol.
Nearly 9,000 people a year are diagnosed with oral cancer in Britain, including cancers of the tongue, gums, tonsils, lips, palate and floor of the mouth.
Scientists from the University of Birmingham hope a lollipop that absorbs tumor-related proteins from saliva could shorten the time it takes to diagnose oral cancer (Stock Image)
A patient receives a regular dental checkup (stock image). Deaths from oral cancer have increased over the past decade because patients do not have access to an NHS dentist
It causes about 3,000 deaths a year – more than cervical and testicular cancer combined.
This is partly because more than half of cases are not discovered until the tumor has spread to other parts of the neck and head, as there are rarely obvious symptoms.
Only 50 percent of cases diagnosed at late stages persist for more than five years; this figure reaches 90 percent if tumors are detected earlier.
Deaths from oral cancer have increased by 46 percent in the past decade, partly because many patients do not have access to an NHS dentist for routine checks, say charities such as the Oral Health Foundation.
This is one of the main ways oral cancer is discovered.
A suspicious growth is then tested with a biopsy. It can take up to six weeks for the results to be known and this procedure can only be performed in hospital.
The lollipop could make the diagnosis easier and faster. The team from Birmingham developed a gel made of water and a polymer, a soft material consisting of relatively large chemical molecules. When the patient sucks on the lollipop, proteins – including those associated with cancer – in their saliva become trapped between the larger molecules.
One of the main proteins targeted is interleukin-6, which is naturally produced by the immune system in response to infection or inflammation. But it is also generated in excess by cancer cells as they multiply; numerous studies have identified its presence in saliva as an early warning sign of oral cancer.
The lollipop test would provide immediate results and the patient could then be referred for specialist tests or a biopsy.
The Birmingham researchers will spend the next three years perfecting the lollipop test, which is designed to be used routinely by GPs and dentists.
Dr. Nigel Carter, CEO of the Oral Health Foundation, said: ‘Currently, oral cancer can be very difficult to treat and has a poor prognosis – partly due to late diagnoses.
‘Such a rapid test could be an excellent way to get a diagnosis at an early stage.’
Meanwhile, regularly consuming resveratrol, a compound found in red fruits such as grapes, tomatoes and strawberries, can reduce the risk of oral cancer by about 15 percent, reports the journal BMC Oral Health.
Researchers collected data from five separate studies and concluded that the chemical, also found in red wine, has powerful anti-cancer properties that reduce the risk of tumor formation.