Latest news with #cancerdetection
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
At-home skin cancer test could be one step closer
The Brief An experimental patch could bring the medical world one step closer to rapid at-home melanoma testing, eliminating the need for a biopsy or blood draw. The ExoPatch successfully distinguished melanoma from healthy skin in mice, using a test that's similar to taking a COVID-19 test at home. Researchers believe the ExoPatch could be modified, potentially helping to detect other forms of cancer, including lung, breast, colon, prostate and brain cancer. Testing for the most aggressive form of skin cancer could one day be akin to taking a COVID-19 test at home, according to researchers at the University of Michigan. The researchers have developed a silicone patch – the ExoPatch – to distinguish melanoma from healthy skin. The patch worked when tested on mice. What this means Big picture view The ExoPatch could bring the medical world one step closer to rapid at-home melanoma testing, eliminating the need for a biopsy or blood draw, researchers said. What they're saying "The star-shaped needles make puncture easier and less painful, but they are so small that they only go through the top-most layer of the skin, the epidermis, and do not draw blood," said Sunitha Nagrath, a professor of Chemical Engineering at the university and co-corresponding author of the study published in Biosensors and Bioelectronics. "A fair-skinned person with moles must go to the doctor about every six months to send off a biopsy to see if they're malignant or benign. With this test, they could instead test at home, get the results right away and follow up with a dermatologist for a positive result," Nagrath said. How it works By the numbers The ExoPatch microneedles are 0.6 mm long with a width of less than 100 nanometers (0.0001 mm) at the tip. They're coated with a gel that picks up exosomes — or "tiny packages released by cells" — from the interstitial fluid that fills the spaces between cells in the epidermis. READ MORE: Rare flu complication causing brain swelling on the rise in kids, study finds Dig deeper Exosomes contain DNA and RNA fragments that cells use to communicate with each other. Exosomes help tumors spread, and detecting them can catch cancer sooner than other methods of detection, researchers found. The researchers first tested the ExoPatch on a tissue sample of pig skin, which closely resembles human skin in thickness and composition. The team also tested tissue samples of mouse skin, half from healthy mice and half from mice injected with a fragment of a human melanoma tumor. Once researchers confirmed that the exosomes stuck to the ExoPatch, they dissolved the gel and ran the sample through the test strips. READ MORE: What is Legionnaires' disease? Symptoms, how you get it "The test successfully distinguished between melanoma and healthy tissues with a 3.5-fold darker line in melanoma samples," researchers said. What's next Researchers are planning a pilot study in humans, followed by a series of clinical trials. They believe the ExoPatch could be modified, potentially helping to detect other forms of cancer, including lung, breast, colon, prostate and brain cancer. "The potential applications are huge," Nagrath said. The Source This report includes information from the University of Michigan. Solve the daily Crossword
The Independent
31-07-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Unique blood test could catch cancer early
A new clinical trial, Enlighten, is assessing a blood test designed to detect 10 different types of cancer in their very early stages. Developed by Proteotype Diagnostics and led by the Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, the test identifies specific proteins in the blood that indicate the immune system's response to initial cancer signs. Unlike other tests focusing on abnormal DNA, Enlighten targets protein levels, which experts believe are more effective for detecting cancer at its earliest stages. The Modernised trial aims to recruit 1,000 patients across various solid tumour types, with 450 already participating, and is running at multiple hospital sites in the UK. Researchers emphasise that early cancer detection, facilitated by such tests, is crucial for improving treatment options and increasing successful outcomes for patients.
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
UPDATE -- HT Vet Survey Reveals HT Vista's Ability to Increase Revenue for Veterinary Clinics
Clinics using the device empower their clinicians with precise cancer risk scoring, driving better outcomes and clinic efficiency HILLSIDE, N.J., July 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HT Vet, the veterinary health technology company behind HT Vista, the only non-invasive, first-line cancer detection tool for dogs, today announced survey results showing that veterinary practices using the device experienced a 40% increase in mass removal surgeries. The data, collected from ten veterinary practices across the US, UK, and Israel, tracked the number of lumpectomies performed three to six months before and after the introduction of HT Vista. Despite consistent caseloads, all clinics reported an increase in mass removals and biopsies following the device's adoption. Some clinics reported increases as high as 200%, without any corresponding rise in the number of dogs needing lump investigations. This increase in lumpectomies is directly correlated with increased revenue for these clinics. 'I use HT Vista to tell me what to do next,' said Dr. Ohad Barnea, Clinical Director and Co-owner, Tenafly Veterinary Center. 'If I get a high cancer risk result, I recommend diagnostics or removal more urgently, and I will aspirate to check what it is. This helps determine the [surgical] margins I'll need. If it's a low cancer risk result, we might do a minor surgical removal with local anesthesia, preventing benign tumors from becoming problematic. HT Vista provides critical guidance for the next steps, and the clients love the clarity and assurance it gives them.' Outside of the group studied, most clinics reported achieving a positive ROI within four to six months after adopting HT Vista. This is largely due to HT Vista's ability to provide clinicians with a Cancer Risk Score featuring 90% sensitivity and 98% negative predictive value, along with a diagnostic alert when cancer detection specificity exceeds 90%. A 40-second scan with HT Vista's heat diffusion imaging flags masses that require further investigation, eliminating the uncertainty of the 'wait and see' approach. As a result, more dogs receive the diagnostic and surgical care they need. Veterinarians can discuss treatment options with greater confidence, making faster and more informed decisions. 'These results confirm what we've long believed, that giving veterinary teams access to fast, non-invasive cancer screening leads to more confident decision-making and better use of clinic resources,' said Shani Toledano, CEO of HT Vet. 'HT Vista isn't just helping detect potential cancers earlier, it shortens the time between detection and treatment, improving outcomes for dogs, providing peace of mind for their owners, and empowering clinicians to deliver greater value to both patients and the clinic's bottom line.' HT Vet aims to bring HT Vista into every veterinary clinic worldwide. Earlier this year, the company partnered with Patterson Veterinary, one of North America's largest veterinary product distributors, to increase accessibility of HT Vista across the U.S. This partnership, combined with ongoing strategic initiatives, expands access so more veterinary practices worldwide can benefit from HT Vista's proven ability to improve patient outcomes and increase returns. To see detailed survey results, click here. About HT Vet HT Vet is an Israeli-based company aiming to increase early detection of dermal and subcutaneous cancer in dogs. Its revolutionary, patented medical imaging technology, Heat Diffusion Imaging, was developed by a team of experts in the fields of AI, signal analysis, and computer vision, together with top researchers in heat transfer and thermodynamics, oncologists, and radiologists. For more information about the HT Vista device or to schedule a demonstration, please visit HT Vet's website. Media Contact Shahni Ben-HaimSBH Media Relationsshahni@ A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
Globe and Mail
03-06-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Why Guardant Health Stock Surged Nearly 9% Higher Today
Precision oncology specialist Guardant Health (NASDAQ: GH) was something of a stock market star on Tuesday. On the back of very positive news in the regulatory sphere, the company's shares jumped almost 9% higher today. This made it quite the outperformer on the exchange, as the bellwether S&P 500 index's gain was a relatively modest 0.6%. A new designation This morning before market open, Guardant announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had granted the healthcare company's Shield multi-cancer detection (MCD) test its Breakthrough Device designation. This instantly confers a high status on Shield, as the FDA's designation is given only to a small clutch of medical devices that can either diagnose or treat a disease more effectively than other products. In Shield's case, it is quite a versatile diagnostic device that can screen for a wide range of cancers, including colorectal, lung, and ovarian. It is designed to evaluate people 45 years of age or older who are at a typical average risk for cancer. According to Guardant, Shield has 98.6% specificity and 75% sensitivity in detecting certain cancers. In its news release touting the FDA's move, Guardant quoted its co-CEO AmirAli Talasaz as saying that it "shows the promise of the Shield MCD test to detect multiple cancers at an early stage with just a single, routine blood draw." "We look forward to partnering with the agency and other stakeholders to bring this breakthrough to patients quickly," he added. Coming to market soon Another big plus of the Breakthrough Device designation is that it's part of an FDA initiative aimed at getting useful medical products to market faster. Talasaz and his team at Guardant might just get their wish with Shield before long. Should you invest $1,000 in Guardant Health right now? Before you buy stock in Guardant Health, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Guardant Health wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $657,385!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $842,015!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor 's total average return is987% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to171%for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 2, 2025
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Elizabeth Holmes' partner reportedly fundraising for new blood-testing startup
Billy Evans, partner of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, is working on a new startup that seeks to deliver 'human health optimization' through blood testing, according to The New York Times. The Times reportedly spoke to two investors pitched on the startup, called Haemanthus, and also viewed some of Haemanthus' marketing materials. In those materials, the company says it has developed a machine that uses lasers to analyze blood, saliva, and urine samples to detect cancer and infections. It reportedly plans to start with pet health before expanding to humans, and it seeks to raise more than $50 million. The pitch echoes that for Theranos, which promised to conduct a variety of medical tests on tiny amounts of blood drawn from pricked fingers. In 2022, Holmes (with whom Evans has two children) was sentenced to 11 years in prison for defrauding investors, though she said in a recent interview that she remains 'completely committed to my dream of making affordable healthcare solutions available to everyone.' Early Facebook investor Jim Breyer told The Times that his team was asked to invest but declined 'for many of the same reasons we passed twice on Theranos.' Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data
