An 18-year-old high school student from Mexico has designed a bra that can help in the early detection of breast cancer, and it’s getting international attention. Inspired by his own mother’s fight against cancer–who lost both of her breasts to breast cancer, Julian Rios Cantu wanted to do something about it and to provide a way for millions of women to better detect the signs and symptoms of breast cancer. Julian Rios Cantu has won the first prize at the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA) in Frankfurt, Germany for his work and got awarded with $20000.
“Why a bra? Because it allows us to have the breasts in the same position and it doesn’t have to be worn more than one hour a week,” Julian Rios Cantu said in an interview with El Universal.
The bra, known as EVA, was developed with three friends through the 18-year-old student’s own company Higia Technologies, and was designed primarily for women with genetic predisposition to cancer. The “auto exploration bra” comes equipped with around 200 biosensors that spot early signs of cancer. Equipped with 200 biosensors, that map the surface of the breasts and monitor them for changes in temperature and texture, shape and weight.
Heat sensors detect blood flow which often suggests that blood vessels are feeding on something which is typically cancer cells. Thus collected data detected by the EVA is then relayed to a smartphone app or a PC via Bluetooth and an artificial intelligence (AI) then processes the data. This information is logged in an application which will let patients alert if there are worrying changes. For example, if the bra detects a higher temperature in the breast, the bra could imply this is due to increased blood flow in the area, possibly because of a growing tumor.
“As soon as there is a malformation in the breast or a tumour, there is an over-vascularization; so to more [flow of] blood, the higher the temperature,” Rios Cantu added.
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancer types that bother women across the world. Detecting breast cancer in patients at an early stage is crucial to its treatment and halt but often relies on self-examination. Around 8,200,000 people die of breast cancer globally Each year. Every year in the UK, around 50,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer and one in eight of them will develop invasive breast cancer at some point in their lifetime. Women using the bra would need to wear it for 60-90 minutes a week in order to get accurate measurements.
Key signs and symptoms of breast cancer:-
A sudden lump or thickening of the breast tissue that feels different from the rest area. A cancerous lump, which is invisible often feels hard and immovable like a lemon seed.
Redness on the skin and/or around the nipple that feels warm to touch one-third of the breast.
A change in skin texture such as dimpling or puckering of the skin of the breast. Dimpled skin is a common sign of inflammatory breast cancer.
A change in size or shape of the breast. For example, one breast might become larger or lower than the other one.
Nipple discharge (other than breast milk): Nipple discharge on one side spontaneously, which may be blood stained, brown or clear, it might mean there is something in the breast that is causing irritation.
Nipple becoming inverted (turned in) or changing its position.
Any rash or crusting of the nipple or surrounding area.
A swelling or bulge in the armpit or around the collarbone should always be investigated.
Constant pain in the breast or armpit.
