Detecting Cancer at the Dentist's Office -- In-depth Doctor's Interview

What is the new adjunct mammography test you've created?

Dr. Streckfus: The whole idea behind the test is to be an adjunct tool with mammography. When women go to get a mammogram, this can be run to assist in clinical decision making. Of course, if it is positive in mammography, then it would triage to a higher level of imaging -- perhaps, MRI or something else. What we really want to do is decrease the number of false positives and false negatives in mammography readings.

How does saliva help with making mammograms more accurate?

Dr. Streckfus: The salivary gland tissue is very similar to breast tissues and there appears to be some communication between the two sets of tissues. When an individual has cancer, many of the proteins are altered in saliva so it could be a bell weather instrument for the presence of disease.

Is the saliva test something that would be performed at your dental exams?

Dr. Streckfus: I think it would be possible to go to the dentist for the test. Most women frequent the dentist quite often -- they often bring their children. At the same time children are being treated, they can take the test. Or, they could even take it on their own routine basis. Also, every now and then somebody has some sort of dental problem. Even if people are not going to the dentist for regular visits, they will be there one day for certain. The test could be administered at that visit.

Will this new test help target women who never go to get mammograms or never go to their doctors?

Dr. Streckfus: That is correct. There are areas in the United States, like Appalachia and the Mississippi Delta, that lack care -- problems where insurance may not be available or perhaps, the mammography unit is not conveniently located. It could help them as well as women in emerging countries. We are very fortunate to be a wealthy country, but in emerging countries there may not be any type of testing whatsoever. This would be especially useful in those areas.

Can dentists see other problems of the human body through the mouth?

Dr. Streckfus: Yes, they can. This would not be new for a dentist because most routinely check for hypertension and of course, oral cancer and other things of this sort. This would be just one more public service added to what is already present.

How did you come up with the idea for this test?

Dr. Streckfus: There was an investigator, Dr. Kurachi who was with the National  Institutes of Health. He took the submandibular glands, which are located beneath the floor of the mouth, out of mice. In response, he found that he had an 80 percent reduction in breast tumors. This started the wheels turning. Perhaps, the transmission of signals is going in the opposite direction as well. Maybe the breast tissue is signaling the salivary glands. Sure enough, that is what we found happening. Based on his preliminary animal work, we were able to come to this point. Of course, the technology has really exploded and we can detect particles down to ten to minus 15 moles, which is very, very small. It's all coming together -- the right time … the right place with a lot of luck.

Why are you personally interested in this test?

Dr. Streckfus: Cancer essentially wiped out my family. My mother and father were killed back to back with cancer and left my sister orphaned. I have lost cousins and uncles to cancer, so it's somewhat of a grudge match. I would like to put an end to this.

How does the test work?

Dr. Streckfus: It's very simple … It's extremely inexpensive. We get a gum base from a chewing gum company which doesn't have any of the sugars or anything else on it. You just chew it on a regular basis and then just spit it into a cup. After five minutes, we take the cup and determine what constituents are in it.

How long does it take to determine what's in someone's saliva?

Dr. Streckfus: That would be the next leg of the technology and it is according to what kind of diagnostic platform you are working with -- whether you want a very quantitative reading that would be useful in a hospital setting or something like a home pregnancy test which would give you yes or no. If it's in a hospital setting, it would take several hours. If it would be like a pregnancy test, it would be almost instant.

If a dentist was using this, would it be the simpler test?

Dr. Streckfus: That is exactly right. It's a good way of interfacing the population -- doing a rather inexpensive test and then getting the patient into the right hands if something is wrong.

It seems so simple.

Dr. Streckfus: Yes. There is something elegant about simplicity. You have fewer pieces to go wrong. It's just a matter of getting the right protein markers that indicate disease.

What is next for this test?

Dr. Streckfus: Right now, as we are speaking, we are testing to clinically validate the markers. We are looking for how many false positives and how many false negatives are produced and should have that information by June.

Has the research found it to be effective?

Dr. Streckfus: Yes, we are getting there and it's looking promising. We have one platform that we are collaborating with -- the University of Texas in Austin and they have a nano platform where they can test ten, 11 markers at one time. The preliminary data looks very good. It looks like we not only have the test platform, but also the markers being validated at the same time. This should expedite the whole process.

END OF INTERVIEW

This information is intended for additional research purposes only. It is not to be used as a prescription or advice from Ivanhoe Broadcast News, Inc. or any medical professional interviewed. Ivanhoe Broadcast News, Inc. assumes no responsibility for the depth or accuracy of physician statements. Procedures or medicines apply to different people and medical factors; always consult your physician on medical matters.

If you would like more information, please contact:

Charles Streckfus, DDS

University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston

Houston, TX

(713) 303-9644

http://www.db.uth.tmc.edu/

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