They are developing an electronic nose to identify prostate tumors

diagnosis prostate cancer A method that is non-invasive and more accurate than traditional diagnostic procedures may not be too far away as new developments emerge Electronic nose This could be the key to detecting this disease thanks to its detection capabilities urine.

This was confirmed by a study published in the International Journal of Urology, which tested the effectiveness of the first electronic nose prototype that can detect the presence of the nose. Tumor By recognizing certain molecules in a urine sample.

The so-called project diag-nose. This innovation was created by a group of Italian researchers who were able to create a prototype electronic nose that recognizes Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that cause urine odors associated with signs of prostate cancer

What are the results?

The test determines the presence of cancer 85.2% Cancer patients and gives negative results 79.1% of healthy patients.

In addition, this prototype has other advantages over the detection method that everyone is used to Biopsy: It does not have a large number of false negatives, which sometimes accompanies a biopsy, because only a small part of the tissue is taken.

“The accuracy percentage of biopsy is significantly lower than that of electronic nose, which, in addition to greater diagnostic accuracy, will limit discomfort and complications for the patient,” said Dr. Gianluigi Taverna In the presented study.

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Technology is helping the healthcare sector

This curious electronic nose is the first result of a much larger study conducted in 2012. He first demonstrated how properly trained dogs can detect prostate cancer by sniffing patients’ urine.

“This discovery confirmed that prostate tumors produce specific and volatile organic compounds, technically known as VOCs, which can be detected with great accuracy by the dog. We decided to use this opportunity to create a high-quality diagnostic device. technology It can be part of daily clinical practice,” he explains Tavern.

So, little by little, these researchers were able to develop a diag-nose, which can be said to be “almost an electronic dog’s nose”, which now incorporates sensors that can analyze volatile substances released into the air in urine samples.

“In order for the electronic nose to effectively become part of daily clinical practice, larger-scale studies will be needed, which will allow us to confirm the results already obtained and develop the potential of the prototype,” he adds. the author.

With all this, the next step is to test the effectiveness of this electronic nose in detecting prostate cancer with other international institutes that can test its effectiveness. And it is that when you read the entire article, this type of solution sounds quite promising, although at first it may seem a little unrealistic.

How Keep a Breast Works, an app for breast cancer prevention

Self-examination is one of the keys to this fight, because it allows women to detect any abnormalities early and start the medical process for timely treatment, which increases the chances of defeating the cancer.

This app allows women to incorporate this test into their monthly routine, with a warning and tutorial on how to do it. In case a person detects any violation, he can contact the specialist directly through the application available at: iOS i Android.

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