Saliva and Breast Cancer

Filed in archive Breast Cancer on March 30, 2007

A week or so ago, I wrote a blog about detecting breast cancer using a strand of hair. Today, I found yet another possible method of detecting breast cancer, this one on the Dental News and Technology Blog:

A study published in General Dentistry found that the protein levels in saliva have great potential to assist in the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up care of breast cancer. And general dentists are perfect candidates to assist with this diagnosis samples because they can easily remove saliva samples from a patient's mouth during routine visits.

An article in All Headline News adds this:

Also the fact that women visit their dentists more often than their physician may help with early detection. The salivary testing is also more beneficial than blood analysis as the saliva is a clear, colorless liquid, while blood undergoes changes in color, thus affecting the test results.