Grant: Operating Grant

Oral cancer is the 6th most common cancer worldwide. Dismal five year survival rates (~50%) are largely attributable to frequent late stage diagnosis and high rates of post-treatment recurrence. Earlier detection of new or recurrent oral malignancy will produce better patient outcomes since it facilitates intervention at more treatable disease stages. The objective of our proposal is 1) to identify candidate markers in blood for oral cancer detection, 2) to evaluate the effectiveness of these markers in predicting disease recurrence after treatment before patients present with recurrent disease symptoms. Success with this project will yield clinically useful and cost-effective blood tests for screening individuals with both new and recurrent oral malignancy, setting the stage for more effective patient management and improved patient outcomes.