Earwax isn't just a waxy buildup in your ear. Scientists are discovering it could be a powerful diagnostic tool for detecting serious diseases like cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer's. This humble substance might transform medical screening.
Why it matters
Earwax — medically known as cerumen — can reveal long-term health changes better than blood or urine tests. Because it's rich in lipids, earwax can capture and hold disease-related chemicals. This makes it a potentially easier and cheaper way to detect health problems before they become serious.
The big picture
Scientists are analyzing earwax to:
- Detect cancer: A 2019 study used earwax to identify 27 compounds linked to lymphoma, leukemia, or carcinoma with 100% accuracy.
- Diagnose rare diseases: Maple syrup urine disease, which makes earwax smell sweet, can be spotted with a swab instead of genetic tests.
- Track metabolic disorders: Lower fatty acids in earwax may help diagnose Ménière’s disease, a debilitating inner-ear condition.
It takes months for earwax formed in the ear canal to reach the outer ear (Credit: Emmanuel Lafont/ BBC)
A closer look
- Breast cancer ties are murky: A 1971 study linked wet earwax (common in Europeans/Africans) to higher breast cancer risk. But later large studies in Europe found no connection.
- Earwax types matter: The ABCC11 gene determines if you have wet (sticky) or dry (flaky) earwax — and whether your armpits smell.
- Pre-cancer clues: Researchers in Brazil are testing a “cerumenogram” to detect metabolic shifts that signal pre-cancerous changes.
The challenge
While promising, earwax diagnostics need more validation. For example:
- Most studies are small (e.g., 52 cancer patients in the 2019 trial).
- Healthy vs. diseased earwax profiles aren’t fully mapped yet.
- Tools like the cerumenogram are still experimental, though one Brazilian hospital now uses it to monitor cancer treatment.
The takeaway
Earwax could become a standard diagnostic tool like blood tests, but researchers must solve key challenges first. The main question is: How can we turn earwax into a dependable medical screening method? For now, keep an open mind about this overlooked substance — it might become a powerful way to detect serious health issues early.
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Go deeper: The BBC on what your earwax can reveal about your health →
