Dentist to have a new responsibility
January, 11
It may sound strange but it was known that soon dentist could conduct test for breast cancer patients. In a new research it was found that proteins in human saliva could act as a biological marker which would tell whether the patient has breast cancer or not. This successful finding in the field of medical science was revealed by a team of researchers from US. It was learnt that over 44000 women in the UK are diagnosed with breast cancer every year and about 12000 succumbs to this disease.
With this finding, a new chapter has been added to the work area of these dentists, who previously were just dealing with patients having dental problems. But from now they will use their expertise towards the breast cancer patients. It was also known that, in order to help these dentists a testing device is going to be designed which will help them to carry out their work more easily.
So now dentist have to check two types of cancers, mouth cancer and breast cancer, with this finding it seems a new development to tackle the increasing breast cancer rates is in the offing. The study analysed saliva samples from thirty patients and found 49 proteins which differentiated from healthy patients and those who were suffering from breast cancer. Prof. Charles Streckfus of the Houston University said saliva can also be used to detect ovarian, womb, cervical, head and neck cancers.
This new finding would help to detect the symptoms of this dreadful disease at an early stage, which would help to treat the patients at the right stage. But still there are doubts whether this technique would work for a large number of people. Meanwhile it has been a beginning for a new era for both the dentist and for the field of breast cancer.