Cancer plus test kit

This test kit consists of 2 test strips that collect saliva and urine samples. It uses a lateral flow immunoassay to detect two polyamines-spermidine and spermine; the quantities of which are elevated in cancer patients. Using this test kit, we can screen patients for 10 types(sites) of the most common and fatal cancers, namely

• oral
• lung
• breast
• pancreatic
•  testicular
•  Ovarian
•  Uterine
•  Prostate
•  liver
•  colorectal.

The test strips will work like normal pregnancy test strips and can have comparable sensitivity(theoretically). This test kit can be used at home and can also be combined with regular health check-ups.

The kit will comprise of two strips.

1. The first being the saliva test strip -- If this is positive, the patient needs to get tested for oral, pancreatic and breast cancer.
2. The second strip will be the urine test strip -- If this is positive, then the patient needs to get tested for lung, liver, prostate, testicular, ovarian, uterine and colorectal cancer.

We’re presently in the midst of a pandemic but there’s a pandemic that has been going on for centuries -cancer. Cancer refers to any one of a large number of diseases characterized by the development of abnormal cells that divide uncontrollably and have the ability to infiltrate and destroy normal body tissue. Cancer often has the ability to spread throughout your body. It is the second-leading cause of death in the world. Cancer is often detected in later stages due to the high cost of testing and invasive techniques; leading to higher morbidity and mortality. There were 17 million new cases of cancer worldwide in 2018. The four most common cancers occurring worldwide are lung, female breast, bowel and prostate cancer. 

Cancer+ test kit -Introducing a completely non-invasive and inexpensive method of screening for cancer.

This test kit consists of 2 test strips that collect saliva and urine samples. It uses a lateral flow immunoassay to detect two polyamines-spermidine and spermine; the quantities of which are elevated in cancer patients. Using this test kit, we can screen patients for 10 types(sites) of the most common and fatal cancers, namely

• oral
• lung
• breast
• pancreatic
•  testicular
•  Ovarian
•  Uterine
•  Prostate
•  liver
•  colorectal.

I hope to help the people in third world countries including my own country, India. India has inadequate infrastructure and a large, ever-growing population. Sophisticated methods of testing require complex machines that can cost thousands of dollars. Many cancer patients die because of diagnosis at a later stage. This test kit will help detect cancer at early stages, eliminating the need for costly medication and medical procedures and drastically reducing the death rate.

This test kit can be used with regular health checkups and a routine test for patients admitted in the hospital.Developing countries have inadequate infrastructure to enable testing on a large scale. A device that is easy to transport ,effective, non invasive and inexpensive can change the way we look at cancer and diagnose it.

I am still a high school student and designed this concept as a project. However, this idea has the potential to end a global crisis and since I have no funds, I haven't been able to test it out.

Current methods of cancer testing are very expensive along with being invasive. This test kit is virtually made of paper and wouldn't cost more than 10$ to make. It will revolutionize cancer testing across the globe.