Professor Takuma Fujii’s Team Finds New Way to Detect Cervical Cancer Early
About 500,000 new cases of cervical cancer are detected annually, making it a very common type of cancer. Early detection is crucial for better treatment outcomes. Currently, cytology exams and HPV tests are the most popular screening methods, but they have limitations in sensitivity and specificity.
A research team led by Professor Takuma Fujii from Fujita Health University in Japan aimed to find better diagnostic techniques. They focused on identifying biomarkers in serum and cervical mucus samples. Their study, published in Cancer Science, found that certain compounds show abnormal expression in cervical cancer patients.
Initially, the team planned to develop a serum-based diagnostic method. However, they discovered that analyzing molecular expression levels in local tissue, like cervical mucus, could be more effective. They compared miRNA and cytokine profiles from serum and mucus samples collected over eight years from patients with cervical cancer or CIN.
The researchers identified several candidate miRNAs and cytokines in both serum and mucus samples. Through further tests, they found that a specific combination of these biomarkers in mucus samples provided better diagnostic accuracy than serum samples.
Professor Fujii remarked, “Our study, for the first time, demonstrates that analyzing mucus samples can distinguish cervical tumors from normal tissues more accurately than serum samples. Using such a method as an additional option to traditional screening techniques could help discover cancer and precancerous conditions at an earlier stage.”
Doubts Revealed
Professor Takuma Fujii -: He is a scientist and teacher from Japan who works at Fujita Health University. He leads a team of researchers.
Fujita Health University -: This is a university in Japan where people study and do research about health and medicine.
biomarkers -: These are special signs in the body that can show if someone has a disease, like cervical cancer.
cervical mucus -: This is a fluid made by the cervix, which is a part of a woman’s body. It can be tested to find signs of diseases.
serum tests -: These are tests done on the liquid part of blood to find diseases. The new method uses mucus instead of blood.
cervical cancer -: This is a type of cancer that happens in the cervix, which is the lower part of the uterus in women.
