A prototype scan developed by researchers in Switzerland is causing a stir in the medical world as a tool to help revolutionise diagnosing breast cancer. The method, which involves using an innovative and painless X-ray, can show breast tissue in greater detail than existing technology.
The new X-ray has been developed by the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) in Aargau and is intended to detect breast cancer at an earlier stage than conventional equipment. According to numerous scientific journals, breast cancer is the most diagnosed cancer for women in Switzerland, with the illness being responsible for 19 percent of cancer deaths in women.
The PSI’s prototype is said to prevent misdiagnoses as well as help pinpoint areas for treatment more accurately, meaning that the tool could be used in both the diagnosis and treatment phase for breast cancer patients. With earlier detection, it is hoped that the survival rate for breast cancer could be dramatically improved.
While the prototype has won a number of awards, it still needs to go through rigorous clinical trials. Despite this, according to SRF, the X-ray method has caused a serious stir in the medical world, with experts already talking of a breast cancer treatment revolution.
Hospitals in Switzerland treat more than 5.500 women for cancer each year, with around 1.300 women dying from the disease annually. Conventional methods for breast cancer detection include ultrasonography (often used on younger women) and mammography.
Mammography in particular is often uncomfortable and can even be painful, as well as occasionally providing positive results for cancer when there is no cancer present. The PSI hoped their prototype would help prevent such distressing situations for patients while providing specific pinpoints for better treatment and outcomes.