Two New Tests That Could Make Mammograms Obsolete

[Guest guest]

But first the bad news: neither of these tests has been approved by our FDA.

For women who want to avoid having their breasts flattened, which, by the way, can tear open tissues and if you do have a tumor, it can burst that too causing it to spread, we have two new tests on the horizon for breast cancer.

Did you know that in medical school they actually teach doctors to handle breast lumps gingerly to avoid spreading any possible cancers, while in radiology school they seem to teach the exact opposite?

So, a new test that avoids the possible tearing of tissues is something you’d think would be received very well by both medicine and by women, and you’d be right. The mammogram industry, however, because our medicine is profit driven, is not going down without a fight.

The first test involves saliva. According to Dr Charles Streckfus at the University of Texas (Dental Branch at Houston), “Breast cancer triggers a change in the type and amount of proteins in the secretions from the salivary glands.†Thus scientists have now identified 49 different proteins in saliva that can separate healthy women from those with benign breast tumors and from those with malignant breast tumors.

We are told it could take at least five years for the FDA to approve this test, or perhaps even longer depending on how well the radiology industry lobbies the FDA to drag its feet.

The next test we’ve found comes from Norway. It’s a blood test from a company called DiaGenic. Again we’re dealing with specific proteins in the blood that this test uncovers. You see, the presence of cancer turns on certain genes, which in turn signal cells to create a specific set of proteins. A test that finds these proteins is far superior to one that looks for genetic mutations.

Again, however, DiaGenic is seeking FDA approval and you know how long that could take. If you happen to live in the United Kingdom, you’re a bit luckier because it is now available there, through Opaldia, the largest cancer center in the UK.

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