Spit Test for Cancer

[Orleander]

YES! Pancreatic cancer is one I worry about considering 95% of those diagnosed die within 5 years. Now a spit test is on the horizon.

and as a side note, does anyone know if Steve Jobs or Michael Landon smoked?

The bacteria in your mouth could one day be used as an early test for pancreatic cancer, a new study suggests.

In a small study, pancreatic cancer patients were found to have different levels of certain bacteria in their saliva than healthy people did. While researchers weren't sure if the differences were linked to the cancer's cause or were an effect, the findings suggest there could someday be an oral test that screens for pancreatic cancer, said James Farrell, a gastroenterologist at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine....

 

[Pete]

Hi Orly!

Steve Jobs no, Michael Landon yes, Patrick Swayze yes.
But three cases isn't that informative.

Here is a aggregation of 9 pancreatic cancer studies. Excluding one study that only included smokers, there were 1271 pancreatic cancer cases, and 1328 controls (people similar to the cases but without cancer).

Of the 1481 people with pancreatic cancer, 582 (46%) had never smoked.
Of the 1328 people without cancer, 678 (51%) had never smoked.

 

[Orleander]

oh, I was hoping since I don't smoke I'd be safer

 

[Pete]

Safer, yes.
Safe... unfortunately, no one is completely safe.

Life is a gamble.

 

[Captain Kremmen]

YES! Pancreatic cancer is one I worry about considering 95% of those diagnosed die within 5 years. Now a spit test is on the horizon.

Great, so now you can get your death sentence even quicker.

 

[Orleander]

no. If they find out I had pancreatic cancer sooner, my odds would be better. I'm just hoping a dog could smell it. I seriously would go to a doctor with a certified dog. It sounds liek quackery, but...

 

[herbbread]

My girlfriend is actually in a research lab doing proteomics to detect cancer biomarkers in saliva, although she seems to be having less success than these other groups have had.

 

[Pete]

Great, so now you can get your death sentence even quicker.

How is a diagnostic test a death sentence?

 

[Captain Kremmen]

considering 95% of those diagnosed die within 5 years.

How is a diagnostic test a death sentence?

Possibly an early diagnosis will up your chances a little, but I think the 5% "success" rate is due to treatments becoming available for a less severe form of the illness, rather than the main cancer.
Steve Jobs, I read, had the less severe form, and an unlimited amount of money available for the best treatment.
It still got him.

Yes, fair enough. Good news. Definitely an advance.
A spit test for lung cancer would probably save millions of lives.