UTS boffins develop blood test for oral cancers

Two researchers from the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) have developed a quick and simple blood test that could allow for the early detection of oral cancer.

Dr Nham Tran and PhD candidate Samantha Khoury from UTS’s Centre for Health Technologies have invented a diagnostics test called miLIFE.

The test looks at the profile of microRNA molecules to detect early warning signs for a variety of oral cancers, including cancer of the throat, voice box, mouth and tongue.

miLIFE can be easily administered by healthcare providers, is painless to the public and has a turnaround time of just 48 hours. Khoury said this means GPs could potentially easily incorporate the blood test into routine check-ups.

“Levels of five specific microRNA molecules are detected with miLIFE and compared with healthy, non-cancerous individuals. An overabundance or expression of these specific microRNAs will place you in a high risk category and you will be referred to a specialist for further examination,” she said.

Around 300,000 new cases of oral cancer were reported globally in 2012, but because the warning signs can be easily misinterpreted as cold symptoms, cases are often only detected once they are at an advanced stage, Dr Tran added.

At this stage, patients’ only diagnosis options are tumour biopsy or fine needle aspiration - highly invasive and painful procedures, he said.

“We hope that through miLIFE we can provide early intervention to decrease the number of Australians who are diagnosed with oral cancer each year.”

The technology has been in development since 2006, with the input of UTS collaborators Sydney Head and Neck Cancer Institute, the Cancer Council and the Mt Sinai Hospital in New York.