Scientists Accidentally Discover New, Mysterious Organ in Center of Head
Scientists discovered a new organ in the center of the head. The mysterious organ was identified while doctors from the Netherlands Cancer Institute in Amsterdam examine 100 people with prostate or urethra tumors.
New, Mysterious Organ in Center of Head: Scientists Accidentally Discover Cancer researchers discover new salivary gland
According to Yahoo News, an advanced scanner for cancer revealed the mysterious salivary glands looked in the upper part of the throat behind the nose after the patients were injected with radioactive glucose. The new organ may play a role in lubricating the throat and aiding swallowing, but it is still unclear.
During radiotherapy, the salivary glands could be damaged. A different study of 723 head and neck cancer patients found having treatment around where the new and mysterious organ is located can result in swallowing difficulties and a dry mouth.
The doctors hope their discovery would be useful for medics. Meanwhile, Dr.Wouter Vogel, the study author, said, "People have three sets of large salivary glands, but not there."
Dr.Vogel explained that the only salivary or mucous glands in the upper part of the throat behind the nose are microscopically small. The new organ has up to 1,000 evenly spread out throughout the mouth. "So, imagine our surprise when we found these," he said.
According to the published report in Radiotherapy and Oncology, avoiding this new organ in patients receiving radiation treatment could improve their quality of life.
The procedure of the Netherlands Cancer Institute is excellent for detecting metastasized prostate tumors. However, it also happens to be good with salivary gland tissue, as per Live Science.
Daily Mail reported that they injected the tracer into a patient, then two unexpected areas lit up in the back of the nasopharynx, the area behind the nose. According to Wouter Vogel, a radiation oncologist, the new organ looked similar to the major salivary glands known in the human body.
The glands are visible in all 100 patients whose scans are studied. Surgeon Matthijs H Valstar and Dr.Vogel investigate the side effects of radiation on patients with head and neck tumors at the institute.
Radiation would cause similar side effects in the tubarial salivary glands, Dr.Vogel says. When Dr.Vogel looked at over 700 cases, he and Valstar found that the more radiation delivered to the new organ, the more complications the patients face.
Dr.Vogel explained that it should technically be possible for most patients to avoid delivering radiation to this newly discovered part of the salivary gland system as much as we try to spare known glands.
According to Vogel, their next step would be finding out how they can spare these new glands and in which person. He added that patients would experience fewer side effects that will benefit their overall life quality after treatment, if successful.
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