One-Hour Brush Test Offers Painless Alternative to Oral Cancer Biopsies

The study, published in Biomarker Research, analyzed over 1,000 samples from 545 patients, marking the largest trial of its kind for this technology. By adapting molecular testing methods to work with non-invasive brush swabs, the team found that genetic signals remain robust enough to detect malignancy without the need for tissue removal. Professor Muy Teck Teh, the lead researcher, noted that the test provides clinicians with a rapid, accurate, and repeatable method to monitor pre-malignant lesions, allowing for earlier intervention than current standards permit.

With oral cancer affecting approximately 650,000 people globally each year, the delay in detection remains a critical barrier to survival. More than half of all cases are currently identified only after reaching advanced stages. The research team, which includes collaborators from institutions in the UK and India, is now pursuing commercial partnerships to bring the inexpensive technology into clinical practice. They aim to make the test widely available within the next two years, transforming the standard of care for at-risk patients.