A new study has found promising results in regards to early detection of stomach cancer.
Last year, there was an estimated 26,500 new stomach cancer cases in the US, with over 11,000 people sadly dying from the illness.
Stomach cancer is said to be the fourth-leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, urging researchers to find ways to detect the cancer as early as possible.
And Researchers from the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson School of Medicine in New Jersey put their heads together to create an oral rinse that could prove vital in early detection of stomach cancer.
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In their study which is yet to be published, researchers analyzed bacterial samples from 98 people – 30 with known gastric cancer, 30 with premalignant gastric conditions, and 38 people without gastric health issues, Medical News Today reports.
In particular, participants' microbiomes were studied by researchers. The microbiome is the collection of all microbes, such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and their genes, that naturally live on our bodies and inside us, explains the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
While there were limited differences in the microbiomes of precancerous and cancerous groups, there was reportedly 'distinct differences' between these two groups and the healthy control group.
There were 13 types of bacteria in particular that researchers found to have shown the most significant differences between the control participants and cancerous and pre-cancerous patients, as per Mail Online.
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Scientists now hope that the early study could prove that changes in the microbiome could occur as soon as the stomach environment starts to undergo changes that will eventually develop into cancer and that oral bacteria could be used a biomarker for gastric cancer risk.
In light of their promising findings, researchers now plan to conduct more extensive studies.
Dr. Elliot Newman, the chief of surgical oncology at Northwell Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, has since shared his hopes that the oral rinse could 'in theory' cure all stomach cancer patients.
He told Medical News Today: "It looks like the researchers used the samples to see each group’s shared characteristics. They could then compare other samples to see where they were - healthy, precancerous, or cancerous."
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Dr. Newman, who wasn't part of the study, continued: "Work like this is always exciting, but we have to see what happens in the long term.
"In theory, someone could have the rinse and it can pick up changes in the stomach that might be precancerous. If we can do that, we can cure everyone."
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the American Cancer Society on 1-800-227-2345 or via their live chat feature, available 24/7 every day of the year.
Niamh Shackleton