30 Sep Potential New Treatment for Oral Cancer Discovered
Oral cancer is one of the scariest diagnoses you can encounter during your biannual checkup. The importance of your biannual visits are underscored by the fact that 60% of people diagnosed with the disease are already in the later stages, leading to a sub-50% survival rate. A study conducted by Dr. Cara Gonzales of UT Health Science Center of San Antonio has given new hope to those who suffer from oral cancer.
The very promising results of the study showed the cancerous tumors in mice shrinking to half their size in just two weeks! These findings if brought to human trial could be life-changing for those who are in the later stages of oral cancer.
The process of fighting late stage oral cancer can involve invasive surgeries to cut out parts of your mouth and tongue to remove the cancerous material followed by additional radiation to kill any remaining cancer cells. Needless to say, a better, less-invasive treatment option would drastically improve the livelihood and chances for success of those with oral cancer.
The study combined two different already FDA approved treatments simultaneously that have been ineffective on their own in the past, but now together had huge success in mouse models. This new treatment could have applications in both shrinking tumors that were previously inoperable, shrinking tumors prior to surgery and even to kill remaining cancer cells afterward. While many more trials await the treatment before it can be FDA approved, scientists say that this is the biggest step of it’s kind in decades.
Are you overdue for your twice yearly dental checkup? Contact Prescott Dentistry today to stay on top of your oral health and keep an eye out for serious diseases like oral cancer.
Images used under creative commons license – commercial use (9/29/2016) US Army Africa (Flickr)