Hot MedFax

What would you think if you could find out from a simple paper strip, rather than an expensive and painful biopsy, whether you had cancer ? It's here.  According to smartplanet.com, a new test now exists that imitates a pregnancy test.  You simply urinate on the strip and rather than telling you whether you can expect a new family member in nine months, it says you do or don't have cancer. In minutes. As someone who's been through many (positive) biopsies, this sounds like a dream. The technology relies on nanoparticles, smartplanet.com reports, that interact with tumor proteins, which trigger the release of biomarkers that can be detected in urine. These are tumor proteins which help cancer cells escape by cutting through the proteins that hold the cancer cells in place, smartplanet notes. After these proteins are cut, the fragments accumulate in the kidneys and are then excreted in urine. But the signals of these tumor proteins can be hard to detect so the tea...

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...

OK. You've got to admit it sounds pretty gross.  Pee-powered warfare?  But according to David Worthington at smartplanet.com, it's coming.  He writes that sources say, "The military could shave 25 pounds off of a soldier’s gear by adopting the technology." That's because the addition of water (or pee) to fuel cells "initiates a chemical reaction that generates power instantly." The technology has actually been available in Asia since last year. Just, don't know if you have to wash your hands after using. http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/bulletin/coming-soon-pee-powered-warfare/12777?tag=search-river