Crystallization test for the detection of head and neck cancer.

Twenty-five patients suffering from head and neck cancer and 25 healthy individuals were subjected to a blood crystallization test with 20% cupric chloride solution and the patterns were compared. In the healthy control group, the typical pattern was an eccentrically placed center of gravity with needles arranged in a radiating fashion, while in the malignant group, there was a transverse bar or transverse formation. The sensitivity of this test procedure was 88%. We therefore conclude that this study is an interesting reliable, economical and above all useful adjunctive for a mass screening programme in the diagnosis of malignant diseases of the head and neck region. The test is based purely on physical phenomena and hence should be performed under controlled physical conditions.