{"id":14688,"date":"2021-04-15T09:00:13","date_gmt":"2021-04-14T23:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/library\/?p=14688"},"modified":"2024-06-25T14:26:10","modified_gmt":"2024-06-25T04:26:10","slug":"early-detection-is-the-answer-this-oral-cancer-awareness-month-dr-samuel-thambar-explains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/library\/2021\/04\/15\/early-detection-is-the-answer-this-oral-cancer-awareness-month-dr-samuel-thambar-explains\/","title":{"rendered":"Early detection is the answer this Oral Cancer Awareness Month, Dr Samuel Thambar explains"},"content":{"rendered":"

From a young age,\u00a0<\/span>Samuel\u00a0<\/span>Thambar<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>knew\u00a0<\/span>he\u00a0<\/span>wanted to become a doctor<\/span>. Inspired by<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>his\u00a0<\/span>grandfather,\u00a0<\/span>who was\u00a0<\/span>an eye surgeon in Sri Lanka<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Samuel d<\/span>eveloped a similar interest in surgery during his pursuit of a medical career, but<\/span>\u00a0that is where their paths diverged.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Having grown up in Brisbane,\u00a0<\/span>Samuel\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>academic studies<\/span>\u00a0began\u00a0<\/span>at\u00a0<\/span>G<\/span>riffith University<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>with a Bachelor of Medical Science followed by\u00a0<\/span>Medicine<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0Upon\u00a0<\/span>graduating in 2012<\/span>, he worked at the Gold Coast Hospital and then across rural Queensland<\/span>;\u00a0<\/span>during this time,\u00a0<\/span>he became interested in surgery, particularly\u00a0<\/span>in\u00a0<\/span>oral cancer and facial trauma, which led him to\u00a0<\/span>the discipline of<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2016,\u00a0<\/span>Dr\u00a0<\/span>Thambar<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>returned to Griffith to study Dentistry<\/span>, during which<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>he\u00a0<\/span>also completed a Research Masters of Head and Neck Surgery through\u00a0<\/span>t<\/span>he University of Sydney<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>This led to\u00a0<\/span>him<\/span>\u00a0enrolling<\/span>\u00a0in a Doctor of Philosophy through\u00a0<\/span>Griffith\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>School of Dentistry and Oral Health<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span>He<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>finally graduated from Dentistry last year and ha<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0now commenced specialty training in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For Oral Cancer Awareness Month, April 2021, we spoke with<\/span>\u00a0Dr\u00a0<\/span>Thambar<\/span>\u00a0and discovered<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>how<\/span>\u00a0research\u00a0<\/span>can\u00a0<\/span>contribute\u00a0<\/span>to improved\u00a0<\/span>early detection\u00a0<\/span>of<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>oral cancer<\/span>, plus the<\/span>\u00a0simple ways you can take charge of your oral health<\/span>:<\/span>
\n\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Q<\/span><\/b>\u00a0& A:<\/span><\/b>
\n\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What is the focus of your research<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0and why is it important<\/span><\/i><\/b>?<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

My research is focused on improving the early detection of oral cancer in patients with oral pre-malignant diseases. Oral cancer can be an aggressive condition that is associated with a poor survival rate for late-stage disease, and a high reoccurrence rate. Currently, there are limited screening strategies in place to detect premalignant lesions that are associated with an increased likelihood of becoming oral cancer. Hence, I am researching the microbiome focusing on\u202f<\/span>Candida<\/span><\/i>, a fungus that naturally occurs in the mouth, and its role in the progression of premalignant conditions to oral cancer.<\/span>\u00a0This research is important because oral squamous cell carcinoma is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, and better patient outcomes could be achieved through further research into the role of carcinogenesis of candida.<\/span>\u00a0My research is also focused on the discovery of a range of biomarkers, such as microRNAs, that are involved in this process. Body fluids such as saliva provide promising biomarkers for cancer detection, treatment planning and disease monitoring. Thus,\u00a0<\/span>this research would bolster the limited body of evidence<\/span>\u00a0for\u00a0<\/span>non-invasive screening methods such as saliva samples or liquid biopsies. The results and knowledge gained from this research may benefit\u00a0<\/span>clinicians and\u00a0<\/span>the community by facilitating the early diagnosis of cancer.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What sparked your passion for this area of research?\u202f<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As a junior doctor, I worked across numerous head and neck cancer units. During this time, I witnessed first-hand the devastating implications that a late presentation and delayed diagnosis of oral cancer had on patients\u2019 lives. Many patients required major disfiguring reconstructive surgeries, and experienced irreversible impacts on their form and functioning. From these experiences, it became apparent that detecting early lesions through checks with their dentist or\u00a0<\/span>general practitioner (<\/span>GP<\/span>)<\/span>, and determining which lesions had a greater risk of becoming oral cancer, would greatly improve patient care. It was these experiences that inspired me to study dentistry, so that I could become an\u202f<\/span>Oral and Maxillofacial surgeon\u202f<\/span>and pursue further research in this field.\u202f<\/span>
\n\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2018When you enjoy your chosen topic, research is immensely easier and is more likely to benefit the community.\u2019\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

\"Photo
Dr Samuel Thambar and his grandfather, who inspired his medical career.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How does research help doctors in their career?\u202f<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Research is essential to the evolution of medicine<\/span>:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>it ensures that our practice is at the cutting edge of scientific progress<\/span>\u00a0and<\/span>\u00a0helps drive medical advancement<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0which can translate into better patient outcomes. It is therefore important that doctors are introduced to research early in their career.\u00a0<\/span>Research also inadvertently improves organisational skills, writing\u00a0<\/span>skills\u00a0<\/span>and presentation skills, which ultimately improves a doctor\u2019s clinical work.\u00a0<\/span>Additionally, research provides a good insight into a particular speciality and allows doctors to develop expertise in a specific area within their speciality. I believe the hardest part of research is finding a topic that you are truly passionate about, and then finding a similarly passionate supervisor who can guide and mentor you in your research area. I was fortunate enough to be mentored by<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Associ<\/span>ate<\/span>\u00a0Prof<\/span>essor<\/span>\u00a0Raj Nair<\/span><\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>who has dedicated his career to oral cancer research.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What is the philosophy that has guided your career?\u202f<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

My research journey only started after I had taken the time to determine the field that I was passionate about. This meant that I took longer to try different specialties until I eventually found the one that interested me the most. I am glad that I took\u202fthe time to find what I was passionate about, because this makes it much easier to pursue every opportunity that is given to you in that field. When you enjoy your chosen topic, research is immensely easier and is more likely to benefit the community.\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/i>‘Oral cancer is very treatable\u00a0and patients have very good outcomes when detected early.\u2019<\/span><\/span><\/i>
\n\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Do you have any recommendations or words of wisdom for us this Oral Cancer Awareness Month?\u202f<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Oral cancer is an aggressive condition with a poor survival rate for late-stage disease. It causes needless deaths\u00a0<\/span>because<\/span>\u00a0so few cases are diagnosed early. Those deaths are preventable, as oral cancer is very treatable and patients have very good outcomes when detected early. Your dentist is the first line of\u00a0<\/span>defence<\/span>\u00a0for oral cancer, and regular check-ups can help pick up the early signs of this condition. \u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We should all be aware of the major causes of oral cancer: smoking, alcohol,\u00a0<\/span>Human papillomavirus<\/span>\u00a0(<\/span>HPV<\/span>)<\/span>\u00a0exposure, sun exposure to the lips and\u00a0<\/span>poor\u00a0<\/span>diet. For this reason, it is vital to cut out tobacco, drink moderately, never combine alcohol and tobacco, limit sun exposure and maintain a healthy diet. \u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u202f<\/span>Your dentist and GP are best equipped to detect some of the early signs of oral cancer<\/span>;<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>h<\/span>owever, you can monitor for symptoms yourself, such as difficulty chewing or swallowing, numbness of the tongue or mouth, lumps in the mouth or neck, or white and red spots in the mouth, just to name a few. If in doubt, always contact your dentist or GP for a review as oral cancer can be treated effectively if detected early. \u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Interested in learning more?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You can read some of Dr\u00a0<\/span>Thambar\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0previous research at\u00a0<\/span>Griffith Research Online<\/span><\/a> as well as more Griffith research on oral cancer<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From a young age,\u00a0Samuel\u00a0Thambar\u00a0knew\u00a0he\u00a0wanted to become a doctor. Inspired by\u00a0his\u00a0grandfather,\u00a0who was\u00a0an eye surgeon in Sri Lanka,\u00a0Samuel developed a similar interest in surgery during his pursuit of a medical career, but\u00a0that is where their paths diverged.\u00a0 Having grown up in Brisbane,\u00a0Samuel\u2019s\u00a0academic studies\u00a0began\u00a0at\u00a0Griffith University\u00a0with a Bachelor of Medical Science followed by\u00a0Medicine.\u00a0Upon\u00a0graduating in 2012, he worked at theContinue reading “Early detection is the answer this Oral Cancer Awareness Month, Dr Samuel Thambar explains”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":152,"featured_media":17415,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,172,5,3],"tags":[162],"class_list":["post-14688","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academics","category-researcher-profile","category-researchers","category-students","tag-general"],"acf":[],"modified_by":"Vanessa Gatt","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/36\/2021\/04\/Dr-Samuel-Thambar-attending-the-International-Conference-on-Oral-Maxillofacial-Surgery-2019.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14688","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/152"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14688"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14688\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17415"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14688"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14688"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14688"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}