Source: www.physorg.com Author: staff Researchers at Northeastern University have developed an early-stage, highly accurate cancer screening technology that determines -- in seconds -- whether a cell is cancerous, precancerous or normal. The breakthrough technology, for which there is a patent pending, automatically captures a “fingerprint” of the cell’s biochemical composition, which is subsequently analyzed by a computer for abnormalities. The new method, which currently 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; chemistry and chemical biology research scientists Melissa Romeo, Ben Bird and Miloš Miljkovic; and several Northeastern graduate and undergraduate students. “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,” said Diem. “Cytologists [scientists who study the structure and function of cells] have the most difficulty identifying pre-cancers in the earliest stages,” said Romeo. “Our technology offers the ability to detect abnormal changes in cells even before (structural) changes become apparent.” Earlier detection combined with greater accuracy—SCP has a greater-than 95 percent accuracy rate compared to 65 to 70 percent for current screening methods—would make a significant difference in patient survival rates. The high death [...]