New throat organ accidentally discovered by scientists during radiation therapy

Just when the world thought that they have already identified all the organs of the human body, a surprisingly new organ was discovered. A group of scientists from the Netherlands discovered a potentially new organ in the human throat as they were researching prostate cancer.

A study titled, "The tubarial salivary glands: A potential new organ at risk for
radiotherapy," published in the journal Radiotherapy and Oncology, carried out by researchers from the Netherlands Cancer Institute (NCI), showed a newly-discovered gland during cancer research.

The scientists, while looking at prostate cancer, found certain glands in the throat, which they described as "tubarial glands." They noted that these were "previously overlooked bilateral macroscopic salivary glands." They also examined 100 patients to check if they have the same glands, and indeed, all of them have it.

The discovery of these "new glands" came about when scientists were scanning for prostate cancer cells. They used PSMA PET-CT, which is a combination of positron emission tomography (PET) and CT scans.

The scientists injected a radioactive tracer into the patient, which binds to the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA). Levels of PSMA is high in prostate cancer cells, as well as in salivary gland tissues, both of which respond to this technique.

During radiotherapy treatment of cancers in the head, doctors would try to avoid the main salivary glands considering the damage to these glands can affect speaking, swallowing, and eating. What baffled doctors was that the radiation was still hitting these new glands, which eventually led to their discovery. It was for the same reason that patients were complaining of a number of unexplained side effects.

The scientists noted that if these glands are also spared during radiation therapy, it could lead to an improvement in the quality of life of the patients.

Dr Wouter Vogel, one of the study authors and a radiation oncologist, said that the next step of their study is to determine how they would be able to spare these glands from radiation. This will help avoid any unexplained side effects.

Newly-Discovered Gland

In New York Times, Dr Vogel said that the glands were not previously detected because they are located at the base of the skull. Although very small, the glands were visible to the human eye, and only sensitive imaging technology was able to detect them.