The number one go-to procedure for doctors to find out whether or not an individual has cancer is through the use of biopsies. It is a painstaking process of using a needle to obtain cells or samples of a suspected tumor. These samples are then analyzed whether they are cancerous or non-cancerous. However, it is not a very enjoyable medical procedure.
The latest in medical research have found different ways to ease the early detection of cancer cells in humans. There had been quite some interesting turnouts in the past few years.
Who would have known that the simple task of chewing gum can help in the early detection of cancer - but it is not just any kind of gum? A report from Mail Online has indicated that scientists have developed a new type of gum which can detect whether or not a person has cancer. Based on the authors of the study, this gum can detect the presence of volatile by-products which are produced by tumors in a person's body. It would only take 15-minutes worth of interaction between the saliva and active ingredients in the gum.
Another interesting early detection technique which has been increasingly popular in the recent years is through the ability of dogs to sniff. Based on a report from the New York Post, dogs can now be trained to literally sniff out tumors in humans with breast cancer and prostate cancer. What is special about this is that there is a 100% success rate from initial test runs of this test.
On a similar note, a machine has been developed to mimic the ability of dogs to sniff out chemicals. Through samples of urine, the machine will determine whether the donor has cancer or not. For the medical world, the early detection of cancer plays a huge role in the survival rate of cancer patients. The earlier the cancer is detected, the easier it would be to provide treatment.
