Oral cancer

Main article: Cancer

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2023: Oral Cancer Detection Biosensor Introduced

In mid-December 2022, American researchers at the University of Florida announced the development of a specialized biosensor for the detection of oral cancer. The solution can be in demand in regions with limited resources or in remote areas where there is no access to conventional laboratory equipment.

It is noted that oral cancer ranks 13th among the most common types of malignancies in the world. When detected at an early stage, the prognosis is often favorable. So, if the size of the formation does not exceed 2 cm and it remains localized, effective treatment is possible, and the five-year survival rate exceeds 90%.

Specialized biosensor developed to detect oral cancer

The proposed system consists of a printed circuit board and sensor strips designed to detect a protein phosphatase 2A inhibitor (CIP2A) that regulates cell proliferation: this is a protein biomarker that allows detecting oral cancer. The test fluid is injected into small channels at the end of the sensory strips, where several electrodes with antibodies to specific proteins are located. The change in electrical signals is analyzed by the printed circuit board, after which a four-digit number is displayed, indicating the concentration of protein that is characteristic of the foci of oral cancer.

Squamous cell carcinoma is one of the most common types of oral malignancies. To improve patient survival, early detection is required using certain medical technologies. While most detection methods require histological testing in the laboratory, the new technology is preferable in that it allows you to quickly get results at the place of contact, "said Minghan Xian, co-author and researcher at the University of Florida.[1]

2019: 300,000 people worldwide die from lip and mouth cancer

In 2019, more than 300 thousand people died from cancer of the lip, mouth and throat on a global scale. The main causes of these malignancies are smoking and alcohol. Such data are presented on September 7, 2023 in a large-scale study by a team of scientists led by Dr. Amanda Ramos da Cunha from the School of Public Health of the University of São Paulo.

According to estimates, in 2019, approximately 370 thousand new cases of lip and oral cancer were recorded worldwide, and the number of deaths from this disease amounted to about 199 thousand. At the same time, approximately 167 thousand cases of pharyngeal cancer were registered, while the number of deaths associated with such neoplasms was 114 thousand. Thus, the total number of deaths reaches 313 thousand.

More than 300 thousand people died from cancer of the lip, mouth and pharynx on a global scale

If we consider only malignant tumors of the pharynx, then in 2019 smoking made the greatest contribution to the total number of deaths from such ailments - 55.8% among men and 17.4% among women.

The global age-standardized incidence rate of lip and oral cancer at the end of 2019 was 7.1 per 100 thousand people, and the mortality rate was 3.8 per 100 thousand citizens. In the case of malignant pharyngeal lesions, these indicators are 3.2 and 2.2 per 100 thousand people, respectively. Particularly high incidence rates were noted in Europe, South and Southeast Asia. At the same time, in high-income countries, from 1990 to 2019, a gradual decrease in the number of new cases of cancer of the listed types and deaths provoked by these diseases was recorded.

In general, in 2019, approximately 10 million people died from all types of cancer on a global scale. That is, the share of deaths from cancer of the lip, oral cavity and pharynx accounted for less than 3.2%.^[2]

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