The results of the study suggest salivary protein alterations secondary to MCL and that a number of the proteins were changed as a result of chemotherapeutic intervention suggesting that the treatment, from a proteomic perspective, was efficacious. The study suggests that salivary secretions may be used as in vivo model for studying MCL progression and treatment efficacy.

IntroductionOver the decades, biological modeling has been used to study disease progression in numerous types of carcinomas. To date, no one model can completely predict cancer progression. Consequently, there are a plethora of different types of models for numerous carcinomas. Additionally, cancer modeling lacks an in vivo system that refl ects disease changes in a "real-time" approach.Saliva is a complex and dynamic biological fl uid, which over the years has been recognized for the numerous functions it performs in the oral cavity. However, modern technology has unveiled AbstractTo date, because of the complexity and heterogeneity of cancer, no individual model recapitulates all aspects of this disease. The authors of this chapter developed a molecular model that utilizes one of the most easily obtained body fl uids for tumor marker analysis. The in vivo model can fi ll in the current gaps in our understanding of cancer pathogenesis, signaling pathways, the effi cacy of varying chemotherapeutics, identifying novel therapies, and, most importantly, shed new light on metastatic progression that is the principal cause of mortality. We propose that, secondary to cancer, the malignancy's rapid growth alters the proteomic content of the tissue microenvironment. These changes may manifest in up-or downregulation of salivary protein concentrations, which can be used as a sentinel for cancer modeling.

The purpose of this study was to compare salivary flow rates (SWS) among patients diagnosed with benign and varying malignant solid tumors with the comparison group, prior to the initiation of any treatment. An evaluation of the results found that mean baseline SWS flow rates were higher for healthy patients (1.55 ml/min) when compared to patients diagnosed with benign tumors (1.13 ml/min), breast cancer (1.09 ml/min), and reproductive carcinomas (0.94 ml/min). The overall model (F = 7.76; p < .001) and the Dunnett's post hoc analyses were statistically significant at the p < .001 level. Additionally, medications, race, and season of the year had significant effects on mean SWS flow rates. The results suggest that salivary secretion is lower among both benign and malignant tumor subjects prior to the initiation of treatment. Salivary evaluations of subjects prior to treatment may be useful in identifying individuals at risk for oral complications during chemotherapy.