A company named First Warning Systems
developed a bra that could detect cancer. How does this work? The bra is
equipped with several sensors in the cups that can pick up temperature changes
in the breasts. This would leave a mark (fingerprint) that can alert doctors of
the presence of malignant cells.
This new technology is claimed to
have 90% specificity and sensitivity. Women have to wear it for at least 12
hours so then can accumulate the temperature enough. Then, you have to submit
the measurements to the company and for wait for a result. These results are
among:Normal
Benign
Suspected for breast tissue abnormalities
Probable for breast tissue abnormalities
But, some doctors such as Dr. Therese
Bevers, medical director of the cancer prevention center at the Univ. of Texas,
have claimed that, even though this is a good idea, it might not always have
good results. They stated that malignant processes have a different temperature
level, but this level may not be very high. Besides, when compared to other
cancer detectors, the results not always match up.
This technology has still a lot to be
improved; it needs to go under much more testing to see the real implications
of temperature regarding malignant cells.
Would you be willing to try a new
technology, if it is not one hundred per cent accurate in its results?
I strongly believe that all technologies that can help to prevent future illnesses or detect them early are good and we should give it a try. For me, this new bra can be compared with those pregnancy tests that some women buy on drugstores. They buy them to confirm that they are, actually, pregnant; however, it is always important to visit to the doctor to confirm the results. In the same way, this new device could help early breast cancer detection, but then it will be still necessary to visit an expert.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, if the bra is not harmful for my body, why should not I try it as prevention?
I couldn't agree more with Paulina. I've heard from my mom that having a mamography done can be very awkward sometimes, so if we can avoid in a first preventing instance this procedure, I'm totally in and pro this new bra.
ReplyDelete