Researchers from the University of California Los Angeles School of Dentistry are a step closer after finding substances present in saliva that indicate whether a patient has oral cancer. Researchers have found that low levels of two microRNAs in saliva are indicative of the presence of cancer. The findings published in the journal Clinical Cancer Research show that these microRNAs, which are by-products of the process cells go through to make proteins, are linked to oral cancer.

Israeli developers from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology said that a sensor made with gold nanoparticles can detect lung cancer in a patient’s breath and may offer a diagnosis before tumours show up on an x-ray. The device, which the developers say would be cheap enough for everyday use by family doctors, detected lung cancer with 86% accuracy. It may offer a way to screen for a disease not usually diagnosed until it has spread and is no longer curable

Johns Hopkins researchers have developed a highly sensitive test to look for DNA attachments that often are early warning signs of cancer by using tiny crystals called quantum dots. This test, which detects both the presence and the quantity of certain DNA changes, could alert people who are at risk of developing the disease and could tell doctors how well a particular cancer treatment is working.

UroSens is on the verge of an exciting international breakthrough with a new diagnostic test for bladder cancer. UroSens develops and commercializes point-of-care tests for cancers of the urinogenitary tract for use in the urology clinic or doctor’s surgery. The initial target is bladder cancer, the fifth most common cancer in the UK with the highest recurrence rate of any malignancy. UroSens’ test requires only a sample of urine which is analysed for the presence of a specific protein using a highly sensitive antibody-based detection system.

The Canadian Association of Pathologists has called for the standardization of the kind of tissue testing that was at the centre of Newfoundland’s breast cancer testing scandal. Pathologists in Canada believe that tests critical to the treatment of breast cancer must follow national standards so patients can be confident of the consistency of the test results across laboratories.

Recent review conducted by a team lead by Ian M. Thompson, MD, University of Texas Health Science Center, indicated that although prostate cancer screening has increased diagnosis substantially, there is not much evidence of a survival benefit. The review co-author Otis W. Brawley, MD, of the American Cancer Society in Atlanta said that the cumulative evidence supports a recommendation against mass screening, rather than justifying its current common use in the US.

NovoCure Ltd has evaluated the Novo-TTF device in vitro and in a pilot clinical trial that showed the device enhanced the efficacy of standard chemotherapy (temozolomide) treatment in newly-diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) patients. When used in combination with standard chemotherapy, the Novo-TTF, a non-invasive medical device that uses low intensity alternating electric fields to destroy cancer cells, enhanced the anti-tumor effects of standard chemotherapy, thus prolonging time to disease progression and extending survival. Patients in the study did not experience any device-related, systemic, adverse events.

Siemens Healthcare has launched a NEW-GENERATION, superfast CT scanner that requires only a fraction of the radiation dose usually used in imaging techniques . The SOMATOM Definition Flash is a dual source device featuring two x-ray tubes which simultaneously revolve around the patient’s body, scanning even the tiniest anatomical details at a faster speed than ever before and with a much lower dose of radiation. The scanner can check the entire heart in just 250 milliseconds – less than half a heartbeat and can also image hearts with a fast or irregular beat without the need for beta blockers.

Biohit has expanded its collection of diagnostic tests for gastro-intestinal diseases by launching its ColonView Hb and Hb/Hp quick tests. Developed for a faster detection and prevention of colorectal cancer, the ColonView quick tests are a simple and cost-effective solution. The testing will facilitate the diagnosis of patients with fecal occult blood (a major marker for colorectal cancer and pre-cancerous large adenomas). Also, the tests will help in identification of other diseases associated with bleeding.

The U.K. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has renewed the marketing authorization for Zila, Inc.’s OraTest® for an indefinite period. This allows the company to sell its proprietary diagnostic kit for oral cancer in seven European countries with a combined population of 100 million. OraTest is indicated as an add-on to visual examination for patients having high risk of high-grade malignant lesions. It can also be used to screen patients who have received treatment for oral squamous cell carcinoma. The kit has pharmaceutical grade tolonium chloride rinse product which is patented with Zila.