Will We Soon Be Able to Diagnose Cancer Using Saliva Alone?

To diagnose cancer today, comprehensive tests such as CT and MRI imaging, bone marrow testing, or local biopsy from the tumor area are required. However, recently, researchers from the University of California made a revolutionary and extraordinary announcement - within just two years, it will be possible to diagnose cancer using a drop of saliva. 

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Currently, cancer diagnosis is performed using blood or bone marrow tests, CT and MRI imaging, or a biopsy taken from the tumor area itself. However, Prof. David Wong, one of the leading researchers developing this method, asserts that in one drop of saliva there is a core of comprehensive information that doctors need to detect the early development of malignant metastases. Once the test hits the market in about two years, its price will be around £15 (approximately 85 shekels).

According to Prof. Wong, aside from its remarkably high accuracy level, the test can be performed by any ordinary person - at the pharmacy, at the dentist, and even at home. "The earlier the diagnosis is made, the higher the patient's chances of recovering from the disease," says Prof. Wong, adding that in the future, the scope of the method will expand to diagnose several types of cancer simultaneously.