The future of Cancer Screening and Diagnosis

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The Micro fluidics chip
Malignant tumors continually shed cancer cells into the blood stream, which then spread to other cells and tissues and lead to metastasis.

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Boston, have designed an inexpensive business card size, microfluidics chip for early detection of very low levels of these cells. When blood flows through the device, cancer cells in the blood stick to microscopic posts (80,000 of them) lining the chip. Initial tests have shown that the device is very sensitive.

This technique can detect cells which originate from solid tumors like, breast, lung or prostate cancer. It may be used in future to monitor the changes in the size of the tumor and tailor the treatment to the individual's need. "I think this device is going to turn the field of metastasis upside down," says Mehmet Toner, a bioengineer at MGH and Harvard Medical School, who led the work.

These blood tests may also be used in the future to complement the traditionally used CT scans and biopsies. These tests are inexpensive and non invasive. The researchers are also hoping to use the chip to study genetic changes in the tumour so as to fine tune changes in treatments.

The chip is currently being tested in larger clinical trials of lung and prostate cancers to study how best it can be used.

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User Comments

06 February, 2011 | Preethi Rahul | Reply

Hi Poonam.. indeed a commendable article... Preventive oncology is definitely the need of the hour as far as the indian society is concerned..a lot of money is being spent on clinical trials and drug development.. but cancer is a disease if detected at a very early stage can be treated easily.. Thus the media needs to spread more awareness on preventive oncology.. more people should be encouraged to go for screening tests.In fact free screening should be done in rural areas for cancers related to tobacco. It is good to know about the latest techniques ..only the cost becomes an issue in a developing nation like India

07 February, 2011 | Poonam | Reply

Thank You Preethi. Inspite of sophisticated techniques being available for screening, a lack of awareness and a fear of getting a positive diagnosis often come in way of early diagnosis. Cancer is a silent disease in the very early stages and patients usually report to the physician only during advanced stages of the disease. If high risk individuals would voluntarily get themselves screened a lot of lives could be saved.

02 February, 2011 | Vijayalakshmi Iyengar | Reply

Its indeed commendable that latest studies are getting more sophisticated in their treatment- painless and more accurate as they are targeted exclusively on cancer cells, sparing the healthy cells from being affected.
However we as a society should focus and promote HEALTHY EATING, for as the adage goes `An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure', besides we definitely have quality of life and we are sure of the end result

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Tags: Cancer, Cancer Diet & Nutrition, Cancer Management, Cancer Prevention, Lung Cancer, Oral Cancer, Screening

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