Researchers Come Up With Bra That Can Detect Breast Cancer
By Stephanie Stahl
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Researchers are very excited about wearable technology that they say can catch breast cancer in it's earliest stages. This smart bra looks a lot like a sports bra. Inside are heat seeking sensors that could save a life. The maker wants women to imagine having a breast cancer exam in your own home, or as you go about your day.
It's called the iTBra and it could be become the latest weapon in detecting early signs of breast cancer.
Connected patches are worn inside the actual bra. The patches have metal sensors that detect a rise in temperature. The theory is that when cancer forms in the breast, and the tumor builds its own blood supply, it increases heat.
The bra picks up on that heat and sends an alert to a woman's smart phone, or computer.
It's important to note that this does not take the place of a mammogram. "This may help identify what group of patients need to get mammograms earlier," said Dr. William Farrar, Lead Researcher at Ohio State.
Doctors say it is particularly important technology to woman who have dense breast tissue.
Clinical trials on the bra are underway at Ohio State and Stanford University. So far, it has been tested on 500 patients. Researchers say it's 87 percent accurate, slightly higher than mammograms at 83 percent.
The company that developed the bra is planning more clinical trials and hopes to get FDA approval in the fall. Researchers say that someday, women might be able to buy this bra at a drugstore and get results similar to how they do with a pregnancy test. Of course, they need to follow up with a doctor.