Algorithm of noninvasive diagnosis of patients with suspected neoplasm in the maxillofacial region in dental examination

Introduction. Diagnosis of neoplasms of the maxillofacial region remains one of the most acute and widely discussed problems in modern medicine. Despite the visual accessibility of this area, a significant part of malignant tumors are detected only at stages III–IV. In such cases, medical care is often focused only on palliative care, and radical intervention leads to severe functional defects and aesthetic disorders that require complex multidisciplinary rehabilitation.

Aim. To determine the significance of certain biomarkers of the tumor process in unstimulated oral fluid (saliva) for the possibility of non-invasive diagnosis of tumors of the maxillofacial region at a dental appointment.

Materials and methods. The study included patients with neoplasms of the maxillofacial region, divided into three main groups based on clinical, dental and morphological data. The object of the study was unstimulated oral fluid. The material was collected 30 minutes before or after a meal using disposable instruments in containers made of ultrapure polypropylene.

Results. The study confirms that the composition of the oral fluid varies depending on the morphological type of the maxillofacial tumor. The combination of biomarkers MMP-8, TIMP-1, TIMP-2, NSE, CYFRA 21–1, AFP and CEA has high sensitivity and specificity (≥80 %), which makes them promising for the diagnosis and monitoring of the development of tumor processes.

Conclusion. The use of saliva as a biomaterial for the determination of tumor markers is a highly effective and clinically justified method for diagnosing neoplasms of the maxillofacial region.