10-minute saliva test to revolutionize cancer diagnosis

UCLA scientists are developing a 10-minute saliva test for cancer. The test is a kind of liquid biopsy that will help them diagnose cancer.

The team has discovered that saliva contains fragments of the genetic messenger molecule RNA linked to cancer. "Early detection is crucial. Any time you gain in finding out that someone has a life-threatening cancer, the sooner the better. With this capability, it can be implemented by the patient themselves in a home check, or dentist or pharmacy," Professor David Wong of the UCLA School of Dentistry told the Australian Associated Press (AAP).

The test will first be implemented on lung cancer patients in China, and it is expected to be available in the United Kingdom by the end of the decade. The team hopes that the test will help them to diagnose different types of cancer in the future.