Portable device smaller than lunchbox can quickly, accurately detect cancer

Scientists have developed cancer detector about half the size of a lunch box that can be used to quickly and accurately diagnose the disease in remote parts of the world.

Kaposi sarcoma (KS) is a cancer that develops in lymph or blood vessels, and usually appears as lesions on the skin, inside of the mouth or internally.

There are four types of the disease; epidemic, or AIDS-associated, KS is the most common in sub-Saharan Africa and is AIDS-defining. That means when someone with the HIV virus is diagnosed with KS, they officially have AIDS.

Early detection leads to better outcomes, but that's not always possible in the developing world, where pathological testing can take one to two weeks.

TINY performs loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) for nucleic acid quantification. That requires heating the sample to 154 degrees, which necessitates a power source.

One of the main benefits of TINY is that it can collect and store heat generated from electricity, the sun or even a Bunsen burner, and will function even during temporary power disruption, of which three occurred during testing in Uganda.

TINY's power flexibility is important because in many sub-Saharan African countries healthcare facilities lack access to reliable electricity.

For the study, researchers collected biopsy samples from 71 patients in Uganda suspected of having KS and tested the samples with TINY as well as via quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), the current standard for nucleic acid quantification.

Agreement between TINY and qPCR was 94 per cent (67 of 71), and the team showed that all disagreement stemmed from assay limitations and not TINY capability.

Not only can TINY be carried to remote locations for point-of-care use, it could also be valuable in clinics and hospitals where electric power can be unreliable.