400 Women donate their tears for cancer research

Researchers are conducting a cancer experiment that involves tears.

They visited a New Zealand theatre recently to collect tears from about 400 women.

The participants were watching the romantic movie “Brooklyn”, which is considered a major tearjerker.

They were given a strip of absorbent fabric to “catch” their tears. 

The Researchers are considering tear protein to develop a breakthrough breast cancer detection device.

Read: Breast Cancer - How to check for lumps, where to get help

Ascendant Diagnostics (Dx), the American research company conducting the experiment, hope the tear-based cancer screening would result in a 90-percent accuracy rate.

“The screening assay for breast cancer is based on a proprietary set of proteins found in tear fluid, called Melody. This collection of proteins can distinguish women who have breast cancer from women who do not with sensitivity of 88 per cent and a specificity of 86 per cent,” a research extract explains, according to the Daily Mail.

Mammograms are a one of the most common breast cancer detection tools, with women in their forties urged to get one every year.

Dx hopes the tear-based detection device will provide another option for women, particularly those who go to clinics with expensive equipment.

However, the company stresses that the device will be used in conjunction with other screening methods, especially for women whose tear tests comes back positive.

Early diagnosis is crucial for women with breast cancer.

 

It could take years before the device is available to the public.