New York – Doctor Claims Simple Spit Test Reveals If You Have Breast Cancer.

Health Alert.

New York – Imagine if a trip to the dentist yielded more than just the usual information. A new test could reveal if you have breast cancer.

The answer, experts say, could lie in spit.

Dr. Charles Streckfus of the U.T. Dental Branch at Houston has spent the last 10 years of his life collecting thousands of spit samples from breast cancer patients.

And he’s made a potentially lifesaving discovery.

He has discovered that proteins in saliva change with the onset of breast cancer.

He says screening for that is as simple as chewing a piece of gum. “They chew it and spit on a routine basis, then we take the specimen and run it.”

That test could, perhaps, detect cancer before a tumor even forms, says Dr. Streckfus. “We wouldn’t say that you have cancer. All we would say is you need to see your doctor.”

This discovery is significant because worldwide it’s estimated 25 million women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. Ten million of them will die over the next 25years if no cure is found.

That makes early detection all the more important.

Other types of cancers could potentially be screened, as well.

“And so the expectation is that by being able to catch these cancers so early, the treatment will be less invasive and survival much higher,” said Dr. Stephen Laman.

Talk about peace of mind.

The tests won’t be available for another five years. [WHOUtv]