AACR 2024 | Molecular profiling of tumor biomarkers in head and neck cancer
Mouadh Barbirou, PhD, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, examines the epigenomic and genomic profiles of tumor biomarkers in circulation, comparing cell-free DNA (cfDNA) and exosomal DNA (exoDNA) in plasma and saliva samples from 16 patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Results show differences in methylation patterns and tumor-derived DNA levels between sample types, suggesting saliva may contain additional tumor markers. Understanding these differences enhances the utility of liquid biopsies for cancer management. This interview took place at American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2024 in San Diego, CA.
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Transcript (edited for clarity)
We’ve been, most of my research was focusing on liquid biopsy. So, you know liquid biopsy, it has promising results for cancer biomarkers and cancer research. So head and neck cancer is among the among the harder cancers to be managed. So if we find a tool that we can manage and diagnose the cancer, the head and neck cancer, earlier will really impact the patients outcome for head and neck cancer...
We’ve been, most of my research was focusing on liquid biopsy. So, you know liquid biopsy, it has promising results for cancer biomarkers and cancer research. So head and neck cancer is among the among the harder cancers to be managed. So if we find a tool that we can manage and diagnose the cancer, the head and neck cancer, earlier will really impact the patients outcome for head and neck cancer. So it’s hard to be screening screen it earlier and it’s hard to be diagnosed. So we think it’s liquid biopsy. It’s invasive. It’s cheap. And informative tools to detect the cancer and to manage the cancer through the treatment. So we first try to collect samples. Specimen from a head and neck in different stages of head and neck cancers. And we try to compare what we get from blood to what we get from saliva. As you know, it’s head and neck tumors are most likely located in the head and neck area. So we want to see if the saliva will carry more informative biomarkers that might carry more informative biomarkers that reflect the real tumor. So as you know, if to get saliva from head neck cancer, it’s easier to get blood. So and our data show there is there is, there is promising results. We it’s just a small study, so but we’ve been able to see, like biomarkers in saliva are more reflect more the real tumor as well as exosomes have impactful or more cancer related biomarkers then cell free DNA.
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