"Lab-On-A-Chip for Oral Cancer Screening and Diagnosis" by Barry L. Ziober, Michael G. Mauk et al.

Departmental Papers (MEAM)

Title

Lab-On-A-Chip for Oral Cancer Screening and Diagnosis

Author(s)

Barry L. Ziober, University of Pennsylvania
Michael G. Mauk, University of Pennsylvania
Erica M. Falls, University of Pennsylvania
Zongyuan Chen, University of Pennsylvania
Amy F. Ziober, University of Pennsylvania
Haim H. Bau, University of Pennsylvania

Document Type

Journal Article

Date of this Version

January 2008

Comments

Postprint version. Published in Head and Neck, Volume 30, Issue 1, January 2008, pages 111-121.
Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/hed.20680

Abstract

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a disfiguring and deadly cancer. Despite advances in therapy, many patients continue to face a poor prognosis. Early detection is an important factor in determining the survival of patients with OSCC. No accurate, cost-efficient, and reproducible method exists to screen patients for OSCC. As a result, many patients are diagnosed at advanced stages of the disease. Early detection would identify patients, facilitating timely treatment and close monitoring. Mass screening requires a rapid oral cancer diagnostic test that can be used in a clinical setting. Current diagnostic techniques for OSCC require modern laboratory facilities, sophisticated equipment, and elaborate and lengthy processing by skilled personnel. The lab-on-chip technology holds the promise of replacing these techniques with miniaturized, integrated, automated, inexpensive diagnostic devices. This article describes lab-on-chip devices for biomarker-based identification of oral cancer. Similar methods can be employed for the screening of other types of cancers.