This Technique Can Detect Stomach Cancer In Just Two Hours

Stomach cancer is the fifth most common malignant tumor in the world. Although experts do not know what causes this type of cancer, they know that the key to fighting it effectively is to be able to detect stomach cancer in its early stages.

The most complex thing about this disease is that patients initially show symptoms that are seen as part of normal life. Such symptoms include: Feeling full, feeling heavy in the stomach and indigestion.

However, this type of cancer reaches an advanced stage when the patient has experienced unexplained weight loss, or if blood appears in the stool. At this stage , they need more aggressive techniques to fight the cancer cells.

A group of young doctors from Mexico, Greece and Chile created a biomarker that can help detect stomach cancer in its early stages.

This technique only requires a blood test and that you wait for two hours  to be able to diagnose a patient in the early stages of stomach cancer. This is something that will obviously increase the life expectancy of the affected patients.

This is positive news that we want to share with you.

The need to detect stomach cancer early

Stomach cancer is not as common or as aggressive as lung cancer. But every year, 1 million people are diagnosed with stomach cancer. If this disease is diagnosed in its advanced stages, it will be more difficult to fight it.

This type of tumor is especially common in countries located in the Pacific Ocean. Furthermore, stomach cancer is often associated with tobacco. However, there is another factor that should be considered as a cause of this condition: helicobacter pylori bacteria.

• Despite being present in many people’s stomach lining, these bacteria can be combined with other factors, which can lead to cancer cells.
• Helicobacter pylori is always a precursor to this type of cancer when a person has a specific gene: cagA, which is linked to cytotoxin.

Therefore, we can conclude that the likelihood of suffering from stomach cancer is due to a subtle combination of our lifestyle, the food we eat, our genetics and also the presence of various environmental toxins.

Stomach cancer is something very difficult to prevent. But experts say that the survival rate for this type of cancer is 90% if one can detect stomach cancer in its early stages.

This is why the latest developments in detecting stomach cancer in its early stages are good news.

The creators of the biomarker

Chilean engineer Alejandro Tocigl, Greek scientist Foteini Christodoulou and Mexican electronics engineer Jorge Soto are the creators of the biomarker.

• These young researchers developed the biomarker to diagnose or rule out gastric cancer in patients. The procedure requires only a simple blood test.
• Their work was presented in the Singularity University program, funded by Google and NASA. The purpose of this initiative is to respond to different medical and social needs.
• The study and development of this biomarker is the result of a three-year project conducted by the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).

Several drops of blood could save lives

A new way to detect stomach cancer is overtime.

This is because specialists currently diagnose patients who show symptoms that they may be suffering from this condition during appointments, and patients have to wait a while before getting the results. Furthermore, specialists under these agreements perform procedures such as endoscopies or other tests that are equally complex, invasive and expensive.

• Something as simple as adding this biomarker to a routine blood test can lead to early diagnosis of stomach cancer. This diagnosis can occur even before the patient has any negative symptoms.
• A machine called Miroculus analyzes the patient’s blood sample. This machine has the ability to decipher the molecules associated with cancer in the patient’s blood.

• Furthermore, Miroculus can give a diagnosis in just two hours. This machine is simple, safe and efficient. Hopefully the machine will be available in other countries by 2018.
• In light of the good results this machine produces, many specialists hope to add some improvements. This is so that Miroculus can also detect other types of cancer and diseases.
• Overall, this biomarker used with a Miroculus is an inexpensive way to diagnose cancer. It can also reduce the cost of other tests. Furthermore, it also offers an earlier and more effective diagnosis. However, as we have already pointed out, it will not be available until 2018.

We can not stress enough how important it is to visit your doctor if you experience a negative change in your body. This helps with the early detection of cancer and other types of diseases.

Remember that disease prevention can save lives.