Researchers from Queen Mary, University of London have
developed a new gene test that can detect pre-cancerous cells in patients with
benign-looking mouth lesions. The test could potentially allow at-risk patients
to receive earlier treatment, significantly improving their chance of survival.
The study, published today in the International Journal of
Cancer,showed that the quantitative Malignancy Index Diagnostic System (qMIDS)
test had a cancer detection rate of 91-94 per cent when used on more than 350
head and neck tissue specimens from 299 patients in the UK and Norway.