PhD Studentship Grant – Oral Cancer Detection Techniques

Grant Type	PhD Studentship
Research Title	Optimisation of a Quantitative Malignancy Index Diagnostic System for Oral Cancer Detection and Tumour Margin Assessment
Grant Awarded To	F.Q. Qadir
Department	Clinical and Diagnostic Oral Services
Institution	Queen Mary University of London
Grant Start Date	01/09/2012
Grant Duration	36 months
Total Amount Awarded	£65,993
Abstract	Mouth cancer diagnosis is currently based on subjective visual examination of mouth tissues under the light microscope by pathologists. Most patients with oral premalignancy will never develop cancer but it is notoriously difficult to identify early signs of cancer development with current techniques. To overcome this problem, we have invented a new gene quantification method which can detect the presence of cancer cells by measuring the levels of cancer-causing genes in the tissue in biopsy samples. We aim to improve this new cancer diagnostic method further by making it more sensitive, reliable, fast and cost effective. This study involved testing 50 patients’ oral tissue samples as a proof of principle investigation to validate the diagnostic system for clinical use in the future. Such cancer diagnostic tests will provide rapid cancer diagnostic results (within hours) which helps the treating clinician to decide the most appropriate treatment strategy that is best suited for the patient which will eventually leave to reduced morbidity and mortality.