Breakthrough in breast cancer checking
Breakthrough in breast cancer checking Breakthrough in breast cancer checking
Within six months women may be able to buy a domestic breast monitoring device to examine themselves for potentially cancerous lumps at an earlier stage than is currently possible.
Inverness-based Highland Innovation Centre Ltd (HICL) is developing two distinct ‘‘BreastCheckers’ – a domestic point-of-care light-based product and a clinical optical/ultrasound Doppler probe – in a bid to reduce deaths from cancer.
Breast cancer is the commonest cause of death in women under 50, with about 41,000 new cases in the UK every year.
There are about 10 HICL domestic ‘BreastChecker’ units currently being tested around the world, including Portugal, Cyprus, Egypt and Romania, as well as the UK.
Two devices will shortly be sent to the US for evaluation and the company has more available for testing. Once commercialised, each domestic device should sell for between £60 and £80. The more sophisticated clinical units are expected to cost about £600.
Chief executive officer and research director, Dr David Watmough, said: “There are safety issues with using a mains powered device for breast checking at home. Until about 18 months ago it was not possible to produce the domestic, high-power, battery-operated, light-emitting device. A domestic device with sufficient and consistent light intensity is now being tested by women every month.
Together with breast self-examination, the device is designed to indicate the need for women to consult a GP. Early detection should mean more cancers could be treated by lumpectomy, reducing the high number of mastectomies.
The clinical ‘BreastChecker’ uses more advanced technology – LEDs and ultrasonic transducers allowing the tumour to be imaged. Associated blood flow can also be detected, recorded and analysed to determine whether the lump is cancerous or benign.
The ‘BreastChecker’ concept emerged from HICL’s work in developing an Angiotracker cancer monitoring device, which is ongoing.
Dr Watmough explained: “We were working on the Angiotracker device, which we received a SMART grant for, when we had the idea to remove 90% of technology to develop cheaper handheld devices.
The company is in talks with venture capitalists to build on its financial infrastructure to enable it to move to commercialisation stage with the ‘BreastCheckers’.
Interesting… But will it be able to detect Lobular? Mammogram and manual examination didn’t pick mine up. It would be great if it did.
Will keep watching with interest.
Anne
Asking for expert opinion Good morning
Breast Cancer Care has heard of this type of device before and does not normally endorse them. I have asked one of our expert nurses to give us more detail about this and will post a more detailed response by the end of the week.
Best wishes
Moderator
Breast Cancer Care
Thanks moderator - i have heard of it before, but have no idea how its performed in trials - if at all.
Inflammatory Breast Cancer It would not have picked up my Inflammatory Breast Cancer - the rarest and most deadly variety.
“You don’t need to have a lump to have BREAST CANCER”.