New brush biopsy could detect mouth cancer in under one hour

A brush test for mouth cancer could replace more than 90% of painful scalpel biopsy procedures, according to Queen Mary University London (QMUL) researchers.

With mouth cancer among the world’s most rapidly increasing causes of early death, the research team aimed to find an alternative to scalpel biopsies – which can cause infection or damage to underlying bone structure.

Lead researcher Muy-Teck Teh, professor of molecular oral oncology at QMUL, said: ‘Oral cancer survival is directly linked to how early it is found, yet our current diagnostic pathway is blunt. Most patients with a suspicious lesion end up having an invasive biopsy even when the overwhelming likelihood is that it is benign.’

In a validation study, Professor Teh was ‘astonished’ to find that the newly-developed brush test performed comparably to microbiopsies. He said: ‘The clinical implications are significant: patients no longer need even a minimally invasive procedure to benefit from molecularly guided triage.’

Trialled with over 1,000 samples, the brush test distinguished mouth cancer from common potentially malignant disorders with 95.5% overall accuracy.

How could the brush biopsy be used in practice?

In addition to being non-invasive, the brush test is rapid, inexpensive and repeatable. Professor Teh continued: ‘That means we can now monitor patients with persistent pre-malignant lesions regularly and systematically – and pick up cancers much earlier than we would have been able to before.’

The new test could significantly improve the chances of detecting early-stage cancers among high-risk groups.

QMUL is actively looking for a commercial partner to develop the test for clinical use. Once this is secured, it could be in use within two years.

Figures from October 2025 suggest that mouth cancer cases have reached the highest levels on record. Diagnoses have increased by 37% in the past decade, hitting 9,293 annually. The number of deaths due to mouth cancer have also increased by 42% compared with 10 years ago.

A 10-year audit of mouth cancer referrals found a 450% increased alongside a 50% drop in cancer detection rate. Later audits showed that 92.5-99.5% of referred patients did not have cancer. Between 96 and 98% were still cancer free at five-year follow up. 

The QMUL team said that the brush biopsy could reduce the inefficiency of over-referral for scalpel biopsy while effectively detecting mouth cancer within one hour.

Follow Dentistry.co.uk on Instagram to keep up with all the latest dental news and trends.