Early stage head and neck cancers have a cure rate of 80 to 90 percent.1 However, most head and neck cancers are not found until they are at an advanced stage, at which point the cure rate drops to 15 to 20 percent.2 One of our clinician scientists is developing a new means of screening and detecting head and neck cancers early. The ultimate goal of this research is to increase patient survival and improve the quality of life for patients with head and neck cancer.
Previous research has identified two genes that are specific for squamous cell carcinoma, which accounts for 80 percent of head and neck cancers.3,4 A person without head and neck cancer has very low levels of expression of the proteins encoded by these two genes.
The test in development is akin to a liquid biopsy of saliva and serum for the proteins encoded by these two genes. Researchers developed a paper strip test, using nanofluidic technology, which is quantitative for protein expression. Using a computerized reader, the test measures the amounts of both proteins. The test is more sensitive at detecting squamous cell carcinoma and can identify the disease when it occupies a smaller volume of tissue than PET-CT imaging.
Ultimately, with successful implementation of the test, researchers hope to screen individuals non-invasively once per year for early signs of squamous cell carcinoma. Ideally, the test could be conducted at any doctor or dentist office. If the test can accurately detect head and neck cancer, it may result in fewer biopsies and could also be used as post-treatment monitoring for cancer recurrence.
Researchers are currently collecting data from a population of more than 1,000 subjects, with the hopes of having the kit ready for distribution as early as the fourth quarter of 2018.
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