Cancer test

Researchers at Northeastern University have developed an accurate cancer-screening technology that determines in seconds whether a cell is cancerous, precancerous or normal.

The technology, for which there is a patent pending, automatically captures a fingerprint of the cell's biochemical composition, which is subsequently analysed by a computer for abnormalities.

The new method, which can screen for oral, cervical and head-and-neck cancers, is faster, more accurate, and enables earlier detection than current screening methods. Those methods rely on the visual detection, under a microscope, of a few abnormally shaped cells among thousands.

Referred to as Spectral Cytopathology (SCP), the technology was pioneered by professor of chemistry and chemical biology Max Diem, head of Northeastern's Laboratory for Spectral Diagnosis, with chemistry and chemical biology research scientists Melissa Romeo, Ben Bird, Miloš Miljkovic and several Northeastern graduate and undergraduate students.

Diem said: 'We are looking beyond traditional methods by focusing on detecting cellular changes that happen in the earlier stages of cancer, which will have a tremendous impact on patients.'