myZone

Team "Patooties"

myZone

A low-cost, AI-powered diagnostics tool that uses LDH enzyme levels to detect and monitor breast cancer.

Астана, Казахстан

KAZ

Other, including part of a larger organization (please explain below)

We are currently not registered as an organization being a high-school students led project, but we plan to grow myZone into a patient-centered healthtech startup by initiating clinical and research partnerships.

Breast cancer is getting diagnosed in more than 2.3 million women worldwide each year. In the country of Kazakhstan alone, there are 20,686 cancer deaths incidents occurring each year, 23.7% and most prevalent of all cancers being breast cancer. The greatest challenge in the efficient management of this disease is in the early diagnostics of breast cancer, which could skyrocket survival rates of the patient. Traditional diagnostic methods such as biopsies and PET scans, are NOT cheap, invasive, and not widely available, especially noting in resource limited areas and environments. This creates a HUGE gap in the availability of affordable diagnostic methods and post-treatment monitoring. In 80% percent of breast cancer cases, cancer recurrence is detected too late, reducing the effectiveness of further treatment and survival of the woman. Due to this reason, many women including Angelina Jolie remove their mammary glands to lengthen their life and escape incidence of cancer. Our project addresses this issue by exploring the potential biomarker for breast cancer: Lactatedehydrogenase, a metabolic enzyme, as an affordable, non-invasive early breast cancer biomarker. Elevated LDH has been reported in cancer progression and may be a good indicator for early intervention.

Our solution is an accessible, affordable application that employs lactatedehydrogenase (LDH) as a biomarker to monitor breast cancer remission. Women who want to know their risk of having breast cancer can take a simple monthly blood test that costs 4$ in Kazakhstan to check their LDH levels. Then, they take this data and insert it in our special site that calculates normal range of LDH, that could possibly indicate the cancer risk or recurrence, prompting further diagnostic testing. This system allows for continuous, low-cost monitoring without the need for frequent imaging or biopsies. This application works by employing bioinformatics analysis of LDH expression data in breast cancer patients taken from Clinical Datasets, and statistical validation of its diagnostic potential. The solution is built using modern research tools with integration of Artificial Intelligence and data from publicly available genomic and clinical databases such as PanCancer Atlas, TNMPlot, cBioPortal etc. It is non-invasive, scalable, and offers a much-needed alternative to expensive cancer screening procedures.

This treatment is designed to help women in low and middle income communities who lack access to expensive medical technologies. Because, worldwide almost 80% of women lack access to regular post-remission follow-up limited by cost and availability, leading to late detection of recurrence and reduced survival. Women from underserved and vulnerable populations deserve affordable, proactive care. By offering a breast cancer risk assessment with LDH test we enable early detection of breast cancer along with early medical intervention. Not only does this improve survival rates, but it also reduces patient anxiety by providing ongoing, non-invasive monitoring. Because frequent mammograms also have drastic effects on women’s health. In Kazakhstan and similar environments, where cancer care infrastructure is limited, this process can provide significant advantages. It gives patients and healthcare providers actionable information without requiring costly diagnostic machinery. The solution addresses a need in cancer care by making early detection accessible, improving outcomes, and potentially saving lives.