A recent invention has enabled scientists to detect and analyze cancer directly from blood samples without having to perform invasive biopsy surgery. The device was developed by researchers from the University of Technology. Its future adoption in the healthcare industry could help in easier monitoring and treatment of the problem.
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The device, called a static droplet microfluidic device, can quickly detect circulating cancer cells that can lead to metastasis. The device succeeds in distinguishing tumor cells from normal blood cells by using a unique metabolic signature of cancer.
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cancer in india
The research article on the device (novel microfluidic system) has been featured in the recent Journal of ScienceDirect, Biosensors and Bioelectronics. In the context of India also this discovery is of utmost importance.
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A research that studied cancer projections for India in 2022 found that the estimated number of cancer cases in India is 14,61,427. That is, one out of nine people is likely to get cancer. Lung and breast cancer were the leading sites of cancer in men and women, respectively. In childhood (between the ages of 0 and 14) cancer, lymphoid leukemia was the leading type of cancer. Cancer cases are expected to increase by 12.8 percent in 2025 as compared to 2020.
About the newly discovered tool to detect cancer
The research states that rapidly proliferating subsets of tumor cells (CTCs) are potential sites of metastasis, the formation of new tumors in other organs of the body after cancer cells have proliferated.
“The system successfully identified functional CTCs derived from a variety of cancer patients, including patients with colorectal, kidney and bladder cancer, using whole blood without any sample pretreatment procedures. 28 cases of colorectal cancer patients Within, functional CTCs were detected in 61.54% of patients with metastases, with stronger invasiveness as assessed by migration/invasion distance compared with patients without metastases (p < 0.05).
Current techniques for cancer detection
There are many techniques to detect cancer, but sometimes it is too late to detect cancer or the patient has to face a lot of trouble in the process of detecting cancer. The following are the cancer detection methods that currently exist, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Physical examination: A lump on any part of your body can be a sign of cancer. Only doctor can suggest during physical examination whether abnormal changes in skin, enlargement of any organ is a sign of cancer or not.
-Lab Tests: Testing of urine and blood samples can help identify abnormalities.
Imaging tests: With this, doctors are able to examine patients’ bones and internal organs in a non-invasive manner. Imaging methods for cancer detection include CT scan, bone scan, MRI scan, PET scan, X-ray, etc.
Biopsy: In this method, the doctor collects a sample of cells for examination in a laboratory. There are different ways to collect a sample. They are generally invasive in nature as the sample is collected using a needle and with endoscopy and surgery.
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