The test designed to diagnose breast cancer collects cells with a fine needle, analyzes the results and generates a diagnosis in a very short time to avoid complications
Breast cancer has become a problem for thousands of women around the world , so they designed a test that will tell you in less than an hour if you have breast cancer to avoid complications and treat you on time.
Early detection of breast cancer is a key factor in the evolution of the disease and, in developing regions, this type of test is more difficult. Now, a team of American scientists has designed a quick and affordable test that delivers results in less than an hour.
The description of this one-step test is published in the journal Science Translational Medicine and, although more experiments are still needed in a greater number of women, those responsible say that it could be used, among others, to diagnose breast cancer in remote locations, where patients often face delayed assessments that worsen their outcomes.
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The test was tested in a small group of 68 patients, explain the researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, both in Boston.
Thus, to address the need for rapid diagnostic tests, particularly in breast cancer, Jouha Min and his colleagues took advantage of imaging cytometry, a technique that takes images and analyzes individual cells for malignancy.
From there, they developed a compact and automated cytometry test called CytoPAN that studies breast cells: the test collects cells with a fine needle by aspiration, analyzes the results and generates a diagnosis in less than an hour.
It is, according to its creators, a less invasive alternative to standard biopsies.
In a validation study in South Korea, CytoPAN could be applied to 63 of 68 patients with 100% diagnostic accuracy, using only 50 cells per sample.
Regarding breast cancer subtypes, the test also detected ER / PR and HER2 receptors, key biomarkers in two types of breast tumors, with an accuracy of 93% and 96%, respectively.
The method produces fast results, integrates a simplified workflow that requires minimal training and uses a test ‘kit’ with an estimated cost of only 4/5 euros (4.7 / 6 dollars), according to its managers.
Although more testing is needed with large groups of patients, the speed and ease of use of the technique could help clinicians in resource-limited settings overcome barriers to rapid cancer diagnosis.
The authors say future trials should test CytoPAN with a broader range of biomarkers and in other regions such as sub-Saharan Africa, where women with breast cancer face additional risks such as HIV infection.
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