A HOME TEST FOR ORAL AND THROAT CANCER is now available in the United States. The innovative test is being marketed directly to the general public, with the company targeting former or current tobacco users and anyone 50 years and older. Today we look at finding oropharynx cancer a new way.
Sounds good, right? Even non-smokers are at risk of oropharyngeal cancer (the part of the throat at the back of the mouth, including the soft palate, the base of the tongue, and the tonsils), with most of these cancers related to the human papillomavirus (HPV).
But how good is the home test? How often does it find cancer when a malignancy is present? And how often does it say cancer is present when in reality, no malignancy is there? How much does the test cost, and will your healthcare insurer pay for it?
Today we explore the accuracy of the CancerDetect Test for Oral & Throat Cancer.
Detecting head and neck cancer
The at-home cancer detection kit seems relatively easy to use. You will receive a saliva collection tube if you qualify and buy the test. Fill the tube with some saliva and send it back.
Next, the company analyzes the RNA for cellular change and looks at the oropharynx microbiome. You have a 15-minute telemedicine conference — included in the US $399 test cost — and if the test indicates cancer, the company will direct you to see a secondary health care center to get a more definite diagnosis.
Is the test accurate?
The test has a sensitivity of up to 90 percent; that is, if you have cancer, nine times out of 10, the test will correctly identify it. The test has a specificity of 94 percent; if no cancer is present, the test is very good at correctly stating that there is no malignancy.
The researchers released these findings as a preprint on medRxiv.org. The research has not yet been peer-reviewed in a top-tier medical journal.
While you may want to be proactive about your health, is this test a good idea? First, medical insurance does not pay for it, and the test does not have US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. The company looks forward to doing a clinical trial to facilitate FDA approval.
I also worry about false negative results (where the test says no cancer is present when there is a malignancy). On the other hand, false positives (the test says cancer is present when it is not) can lead to unnecessary additional testing and anxiety.
The test would be ideal if it could pick up pre-cancers, for example, in a dentist’s office. For now, I’ll wait to see the peer-reviewed paper. As a cancer medicine physician, I am delighted that researchers continue to work to find cancer earlier.
Thank you for joining me today in this look at finding oropharyngeal cancer in a new way.
