News came out this week about a new form of breast cancer detection that is creating quite a bit of optimism and hope for the advancement of early detection. As October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we're excited to bring you news of a new bra that can be used to help detect breast cancer. It is reported that it has been able to detect breast cancers in very early stages which would not normally be detected by conventional methods now in use.
Currently in the trial stage, the bra's developer, Lifeline Biotechnologies, has already performed three trials which have demonstrated that the bra detects abnormalities with at least 90% accuracy in women of all ages. The bra, called First Warning Systems, is easy to use, and is said to look and feel like a sports bra. A woman wears the bra for a set period of time during which the sensors which are encased throughout the bra, detect and record small changes in temperature in breast tissue. After collection, the data is transmitted via the Internet, analyzed and the results are then sent to the woman's personal device.
According to the company's website, "As tissues transition from normal to hyperplasia, to atypical hyperplasia, to cancer in-situ to, to invasive cancer they develop their own distinct thermal finger print and can be compared with normal tissue temperature." They claim that they produce far fewer false positives, which with other detection methods can be as high as 50-60%. The reliability of mammograms has come into question because of their high rate of false positives. This can be traumatic, and costly, to women. If trials work out well, early detection may be as simple as wearing a bra in the comfort and privacy of your own home.
We will continue to monitor the results of the continued testing, and will update this promising technology. In the meantime, Dr. Robert Young urges women to follow current recommendations for routine office visits, self breast exams, and mammography.
