Your search history could be an early detector for lung cancer : engadget

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Your search history could be an early detector for lung cancer

Your search history could be an early detector for lung cancer

Using Bing (this is Microsoft we're talking about, after all), the researchers looked for queries like "I was just diagnosed with lung cancer," and then worked backwards from there, according to Bloomberg.Then the scientists scoured those users' histories for symptom-related searches like bronchitis or chest pain.From there, things like smoking or exposure to radon gas were derived from location data and other search terms.Of course, with this sort of thing, there's always the chance for false diagnosis.


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Ahwatukee bio-tech company focusing on cure for lung cancer

Ahwatukee bio-tech company focusing on cure for lung cancer

When Dr. Alan Nelson graduated with a double major in physics and romantic literature from the University of Southern California, his approach to cancer was different from that of most.He saw an opportunity."Fascinated by the potential of science, I thought, 'How can I leverage my talents?'" he recalled, thinking he could have "the greatest societal impact and decided to go after it…defeat cancer."And from his Ahwatukee biotech company called Visiongate, Nelson feels he is working his way toward a victory.Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton saluted Visiongate during his appearance in September at the Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce Breakfast, calling it "a homegrown new-generation biotech company that's saving lives through early cancer detection."The city helped Visiongate find 220,000 square feet of space after it had outgrown its location at the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Gateway Community College "and was fielding offers to relocate from all around the country," Stanton said.


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Researcher investigating drugs to prevent lung cancer from spreading

Researcher investigating drugs to prevent lung cancer from spreading

The American Cancer Society has reported that lung cancer, which kills more Americans than any other type of cancer, is expected result in an estimated 158,080 deaths in 2016.Although drugs are currently available to fight lung cancer, drug discovery challenges persist because treatment options are limited.Not only is lung cancer often drug resistant, but radiation treatment and surgery can be quite difficult depending on the location of the tumor(s) within the lungs.Robert Stahelin, adjunct associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Notre Dame, is working to better understand lung cancer at a cellular level and is investigating drugs that could inhibit lung cancer growth and prevent it from spreading.


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Microsoft finds your web searches can diagnose lung cancer a year earlier

Microsoft finds your web searches can diagnose lung cancer a year earlier

When it comes to cancer, one of the best predictors of recovery is how early the disease is diagnosed, so it is a pity many people turn to their search engine long before they turn to their doctor when they have symptoms suggestive of serious lung disease.Of course the vast majority of persistent coughs are bronchitis rather than lung cancer, but Microsoft researchers have discovered that, using machine learning to juggle a number of factors, they could predict with up to 40% accuracy which users making concerning searchers would actually end up with a cancer diagnosis.Using a massive anonymized database of 5 million searchers and working backwards from users who had searches such as "I have just been diagnosed with lung cancer," which are then followed up with behaviors that provide evidence of a recent diagnosis, such as multiple queries on treatment options and side effects, they have found using a number of criteria they could predict who would actually develop cancer up to a year in advance.Some searches, such as those related to hoarseness and cigarettes, were obvious red flags, but Microsoft's machine learning labs were also able to identify factors deduced from the data, such as age, gender and location, which indicated areas with economic deprivation, high smoking levels, older houses with higher radon levels, and frequent long distance travel as relevant pointers to the disease.


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Immunotherapy moves to the front lines in fight against lung cancer

Immunotherapy moves to the front lines in fight against lung cancer

Lung cancer, which kills almost 160,000 Americans a year, is among the cruelest of foes.Most patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage and after punishing chemotherapy still have a bleak prognosis.More than half die within a year.Bit by bit, though, scientists are making progress against the nation's biggest cancer killer.