Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the University Hospital for Einstein have found a biomarker in head and neck cancers that can predict whether a patient’s tumor will be life-threatening (American Journal of Pathology, January 9, 2012). The biomarker is considered particularly promising because it can detect the level of risk immediately following diagnosis. This discovery could become a component of a new test to guide how aggressively

LED Dental’s VELscope Vx oral cancer screening system has been approved for use by the dentists affiliated with Heartland Dental Care. All new and existing Heartland dental practices will have the option of adding the VELscope Vx system upon doctor approval, according to LED Dental. The system is exclusively distributed in the U.S. and Canada by Henry Schein. VELscope’s fluorescence visualization technology is the first technology to cleared by the

Researchers from Temple University have developed a tactile imaging sensor that could help doctors identify cancerous tumors earlier. The sensor is designed to help doctors assess lesions, lumps, or tumors when doing physical exams by detecting the size and shape of the lesion or tumor, as well as its elasticity and mobility, according to the university. Studies have shown that cancerous lesions and tumors tend to be larger and more

Radiation therapy is an important part of head and neck cancer therapy, but most head and neck tumors have a built-in mechanism that makes them resistant to radiation. As a result, oncologists have to deliver huge doses of x-rays to the patient, damaging surrounding tissues and producing significant side effects. To overcome this resistance, researchers at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo and the University of Southern