This Device Could Detect Dozens of Cancers With a Single Blood Test

[unhappycamper]

http://www.wired.com/2014/10/miroculus/



Miriam detects microRNA in blood to determine whether patients might have cancer.

This Device Could Detect Dozens of Cancers With a Single Blood Test
By Issie Lapowsky
10.10.14 | 6:30 am

Early detection, we’re often told, is the surest way to beat cancer. It’s the reason why, year after year, men and women of a certain age dutifully visit their doctors and undergo uncomfortable tests to screen for things like prostate and breast cancer.

But what about the other hundred or so types of cancer out there—the brain cancers, the ovarian cancers, the leukemias and lymphomas? And what of the millions of young people who never get tested at all, even though they’ve been found to have worse outcomes than adults?

Current diagnostic methods for other cancers are invasive and expensive, so the vast majority of cancer patients never realize they might have cancer until something goes wrong with their health. By that point, in many cases, it’s already too late.

Miroculus could make regular cancer screenings as simple as getting blood drawn.

That’s why a new startup, dubbed Miroculus, is building a device that could easily and affordably check for dozens of cancers using a single blood sample. Known as Miriam, this low-cost, open source device made its public debut at the TEDGlobal conference in Rio De Janeiro on Thursday, with TED curator Chris Anderson calling it “one of the most thrilling demos in TED history.”

[mopinko]

1. f'ing awesome

low cost, open source? how can they charge a gazillion dollars a test for that?

[onethatcares]

2. they sell it to Phizer or Merck

and it will all of a sudden become the most expensive test in the world.

My wife has been diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma and we are hoping and praying we found it early enough, but
my thoughts go out to those that can't afford screening or insurance and blow everything off as "getting old".

[mopinko]

3. thanks obama for the aca.

at least if you have insurance, they have to cover recommended screenings.

best of luck to you and your wife.

[Fred Sanders]

4. Another miracle device....maybe they could merge with the Ebola scrubber?