Atlanta

New breast cancer device could save 12 million annually; improving survival rate up to 98%

By Wendy Corona, WSB-TV
By Wendy Corona, WSB-TV

ATLANTA — There could soon be a faster way to detect breast cancer. More than a quarter of a million American women are diagnosed each year and survival rates improve dramatically with early detection.

Channel 2′s Wendy Corona learned a new device could be a game changer.

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“This is a coin-size ultrasound technology with gold and platinum electrodes on the bottom and top. This is the cable which gets signals from ultrasonography as well as from the tissue-reflected wave,” Canan Dagdeviren, an associate professor at MIT’s Media Lab.

It’s called the “comfortable ultrasound breast patch.” It’s a lightweight plastic web that goes over a bra.

It has six slots which allow a small ultra-sound device to take 360-degree images.

“You can wear it while you are sipping your coffee or water, and you will be able to monitor your breast tissue with no discomfort,” Dagdeviren said.

Dagdeviren invented the device. Its initial application will be for women who are at high risk for breast cancer.

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“We can only have mammography every two years because it is radioactive technology and the risk over benefit is quite high. By the time high-risk women are diagnosed with breast cancer, it’s already too late. So, 55% of low breast density women are diagnosed with interval cancer,” Dagdeviren said.

That means it’s diagnosed between mammograms, and for half of those women, the disease has already advanced to a later stage. That pushes survival rates down to around 20%.

“This technology will be able to let you know if there is a question mark or if there is an anomaly in your breast tissue. With this technology that we offer, we will be providing a survival rate of up to 98% which is quite remarkable,” Dagdeviren said.

Applications for this approach could go far beyond breast cancer.

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“This technology can also be adapted to other types of deep organ or deep tissuing imaging, all the way from pancreatic cancer to prostate cancer,” Dagdeviren said.

The motivation behind the device was the death of a beloved aunt who was diagnosed with breast cancer at 49.

“Right after diagnosis she could only survive six months,” Dagdeviren said.

By her bedside, Dagderverin sketched out her idea for a better way to monitor breast health.

“The idea for me at that moment was to relax and comfort my aunt and give her the hope for the future that she could survive. We could use this technology for later, however, she could not survive but this technology hopefully will help many women like her,” Dagdeviren said.

The developers of this technology estimate it could save 12 million lives around the world annually. They’re currently conducting human trials to get the FDA approval.

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