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Imagine this.  Instead of a painful mammogram or biopsy, some day soon doctors may be able to tell if you have breast cancer -- and its severity -- from your urine. According to newswise.com, a researcher at Missouri University of Science and Technology has devised a way to detect biomarkers that indicate breast cancer in urine even before a mammogram picks it up. An excessively high concentration of certain metabolites can indicate the presence of cancer, the story reports, all from a simple urinalysis. What really speaks to me is the possibility that this simple test could possibly figure out whether you have a cancer that needs to be treated right away, or one that is less aggressive and may need no treatment.  I was in that in-between box, and unfortunately, for right now, all potential cancers (like DCIS) are treated as though they truly are cancer because those of us with this cellular abnormality are at very high risk of developing invasive cancer. My case of DC...

Men, just how healthy are you?  If you're like my husband, you have no idea because he hasn't seen a doctor in years.  But a new test may soon allow you to analyze your urine just by taking a photo of a test stick on your smartphone, after you've done your thing, then sending it off for examination. No more doctor visits, or being handed a cup when you go.  You do it all at home. The test works, according to David Worthington, "by matching saturated chemical strips to a color-coded reference for test results."  He adds that the phone’s camera "deciphers the correct color for accuracy instead of specialized medical equipment that does only that and can cost a lot more." Developed by an Indian company, uCheck is currently being tested in Mumbai. Worthington notes that these kinds of tests can range from hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars, so in addition to the convenience, it may also save a lot of money. It's not available yet, but if th...