Longevity science

Fast, precise, inexpensive cancer-cell testing device (credit: EPFL)

Among a significant percentage of patients, the risk of metastasis of cancer is particularly expressed by the presence of an abnormal amount of protein HER2 on the surface of cancer cells.

Ovarian, pancreatic and testicular tests get low ratings, unlike those for cervical, colon and breast cancers.

Now there are 135.

That's how many medical tests, treatments and other procedures - many used for decades - physicians have now identified as almost always unnecessary and often harmful, and which doctors and patients should therefore avoid or at least seriously question.

The lists of procedures, released on Thursday by the professional societies of 17 medical specialties ranging from neurology and ophthalmology to thoracic surgery, are part of a campaign called Choosing Wisely. Organized by the American Board of Internal Medicine's foundation, it aims to get doctors to stop performing useless procedures and spread the word to patients that some don't help and might hurt.

As early treatment is the key to maximizing the odds of surviving a large dose of radiation, sorting out the radiological exposure of the victims is a high priority. Unfortunately, at present no quick medical screen exists to identify people exposed to dangerous levels of radiation. While there are early changes in white cell populations, these also can result from an infection due to an injury or chemical exposure.

Medical researchers at the US Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have now developed a simple blood test to determine the exposure of a patient to ionizing radiation, that can be carried out in the field with a hand-held analyzer.

AliveCor’s smartphone Heart Monitor has received FDA approval and will go on sale to healthcare professionals in the United States in January 2013. The AliveCor Heart Monitor allows the recording, display, storing, transferring, and evaluation of single-channel electrocardiogram (ECG) rhythms using an iPhone 4 or 4S.

The Class II medical device consists of a self-powered case that attaches to the back of an iPhone, which is running the associated heart monitor app. The phone and case communicate with one another wirelessly, though the phone doesn't need to be paired to the device.

While the overall lung cancer five-year survival rate in the U.S. is 15 percent, the odds of survival increase significantly with early detection. However, the expense or invasiveness of current screening methods and the lack of symptoms at early stages of the disease means most people aren’t diagnosed until the cancer is well advanced.

Findings by researchers at the University of York could pave the way for a simple blood test that would detect the disease even in its early stages.

A prototype bathroom scale not only measures the user's weight, but also performs an electrocardiogram on them.

People who need monitoring for heart conditions may not have to go to the hospital as often for testing, if this new design can be produced for home use.

Some two-thirds of cancer are caused by lifestyle choices, says Otis Brawley, chief medical offer of the American Cancer Society.

But routine screening, which causes over-diagnosing, is not the answer.

Blood tests usually involve drawing some blood out of the body. Now scientists from the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) have developed an implant that allows blood to be analyzed from within the body, with results then transmitted wirelessly to a computer.

While still at the experimental stage, the device could make it easier for health care providers to monitor the chronically ill and provide more personalized treatment to cancer patients.

Jack Andraka is 16 years old, a sophomore in high school, and a pretty endearing chap. Andraka’s alter ego? Mad scientist. Last year, Andraka developed a very cheap, accurate diagnostic test for pancreatic cancer using antibodies, carbon nanotubes—and research from Google. Andraka’s work went on to win the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, and at FutureMed 2013, his rapid-fire fifteen minute talk earned a standing ovation. Singularity Hub chatted with Andraka right after his presentation:

Measure the state of your body and “tune” it. The “patient of the future” measures both external and internal variables. Used to measure weight only, then blood variables, then SNPs (partial genome), then full genome. Critical to track and reduce inflammation.

Ordinarily, when medical clinicians are conducting blood tests, it’s a somewhat elaborate affair. A full vial of blood must be drawn, individual portions of which are then loaded into large, expensive machines such as mass spectrometers. The results are usually quite accurate, but they’re not instantaneous, and require the services of trained personnel in a well-equipped lab.

An inexpensive diagnostic test made from paper has been developed that can assess liver health in only 15 minutes and for only pennies a test.

The test uses a single drop of blood from a fingerprick to measure the presence of liver enzymes, and doesn’t require the presence of a laboratory, instrumentation, or syringes. If liver enzymes are present in the blood, wells within the paper will show a color change, which can be color matched to a scale to determine approximate degree of concentration.

A group of researchers at the University of Washington has found a way to isolate and identify medically interesting molecules using little more than scraps of office paper, a Ziplock bag and a cheap diluted solvent.

If properly developed, the system – which requires minimal costs and know-how to build and operate – could be made to administer a wide range of medical tests nearly free of charge.

Medical records that patients can access online may encourage more people to get recommended screening tests and immunizations, a new study suggests.

In a clinical trial at eight primary care practices, researchers found that patients who used such "interactive" health records were more likely to become up-to-date on recommended preventive care.

That included screening tests for breast, colon and cervical cancers, and immunizations like the yearly flu shot