Your teeth might reveal cancer risk: new study investigates
NCT ID NCT05612048
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This pilot study is looking at whether dental erosion (loss of tooth enamel) could be a non-invasive biomarker for esophagogastric cancer and other cancers. Researchers will survey 174 participants (cancer patients and healthy volunteers) about diet, habits, and GERD symptoms, and take pictures of their teeth. The goal is to see if tooth wear patterns differ between groups, potentially leading to a simple screening tool.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could lead to a simple, non-invasive way to screen for certain cancers by checking for tooth enamel loss.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage pilot study, so results may not be conclusive or apply to everyone. Dental erosion has many causes, so it may not be a reliable cancer marker.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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174 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Nov 2022
- Expected to finish
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Nov 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Subject is willing and able to provide written informed consent. * Patients with a history of esophagogastric, HNSCC, PDAC, CRC, or NSCLC or healthy controls * Patients must be able to fully comprehend and complete the survey and be willing to have pictures taken of their teeth with a camera or intra-oral camera. * Patients must be able to understand English language or have access to adequate translation services. * Age ≥ 18 years old. Exclusion Criteria: * Subjects without evaluable molars or with significant molar dental work precluding dentists from assessing enamel status, Note: evaluable is defined as having bilateral assessable mandibular molars, or erosions present in the remaining assessable quadrants. * For healthy controls only, patients cannot have a non-skin cancer history nor presenting for a procedure evaluating reflux symptoms.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (All Protocol Activities)
New York, New York, 10065, United States
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