A new Website, called Predict, has been launched in the UK to help patients of breast cancer predict their survival chances. The Website has been designed to provide better accuracy when users input data such as their age, how the tumour was detected (e.g. through screening or finding a lump), width of tumour and the grade of cancer. After input, the system displays a prediction of the likelihood of survival for the next 5 to 10 years plus any extra benefits that can be gained from drug treatment.
The online tool was developed by a team led by Professor G. Wishart at Cambridge University Hospital’s breast unit and is available to Doctors and Patients for free. The group plans to regularly update the site as more information becomes available and emphasises that it is still “important for patients to work with their specialist to choose the right drug treatment following breast cancer surgery”.
Meanwhile, Predict comes just as a pill, hailed by some as “cancer’s penicillin moment”, that rapidly shrinks the most deadly skin cancer tumours was revealed. The drug, called PLX4032 is said to be the first cancer pill to use results from the full decoding of human DNA, and has already produced ‘spectacular’ trial results. Researchers hope that new gene-targeting drugs such as the PLX4032 will result in better treatment for patients.
Talking Point
Would you trust a computer-based diagnostic and prognostic system to assess a medical condition?
Thanks for awareness post about breast cancer. Actually cancer patients are feel to bad to breath. But this online help website may help them
I would. Humans are very prone to errors and misjudgement, but then again it’s easy for me to sit here and say that when I don’t have cancer. But objectively speaking, if the software is bug-free, and reliable, there’s no reason not to trust a computer over a human.
I was really aware of such information. Thanks for posting such a good post which really provide useful information about the cancer.
Hmmm I can’t see how this can work with any degree of accuracy to be honest but I’m willing to be proved wrong.
My, oh my… Am I the only one who thinks this is cruel and senseless!? How should a woman feel when a cold impersonal computer program is telling her that she has no chances of surviving?!
I think the best thing is to see a cancer specialist for a prepare diagnostic and treatment of any cancer, a computer-based diagnostic and prognostic system may not be 100% correct sometime. To be on a saver side a specialist need to be consulted.
Good point
It is important for patients to work with their specialist to choose the right drug treatment following breast cancer surgery. If you are only going to get a very small benefit from chemotherapy, then you have to weigh that up against all the toxicity and all the possible side effects of that treatment.
This is a great research.Breast cancer is mostly diagnosis from the women that are in between 40 and 45.
This research is beneficial for humanity.This research is also opening doors for novice doctors.
I can see how this can be viewed as a good idea but i think that even though it does have a lot fo parameters that need to be filled out, surely with something as complex as cancer there has got to be many factors that are undefined which a computer program cannot be aware of.
It just seems thought it may be taking the whole online self medicating trend a bit too far for me.
good topics! keep it up
I am so glad to have stumbled on this site. This is of great help to those breast cancer patients. I will be sharing this one. Thanks for the info!
There is nothing wrong with a site like that, although yeah it might be a bit impersonal when delivering bad news.
But you should never solely trust the results of a site like that. This is not a situation to take lightly so you should still consult with a specialist.
Haven’t heard anything about PLX4032 anymore.
Site like this will help many of the patients having cancer. But they needs to consult doc. also for their treatment.
This helps several women out there to be aware if ever they are about to have a breast cancer. By knowing breast cancer in its early stage, it will really helps that it can be cured than knowing it at peak stage where no drugs can cure. Let us post this piece of information to facebook pages to help several women today.
By understanding breasts cancers in its initial phase, it will really allows that it can be treated than understanding it at peak level where no drugs can cure. Let us post this piece of information to facebook or myspace pages to help several females today.
I don’t know what to say because you can’t be sure if a website such as the one mentioned above can predict survival chances. It seems to be a lottery of feelings and the result can be disappointing. I believe that a specialist need to be consulted!
My personal instincts would have said no I read an in depth study of a New York doctor putting in guidelines to diagnose heart problems in the Emergency room that made me change my mind. They proved that following the questionnaire (which could be done by a computer) was more accurate than the subjective diagnoses of the doctors.
Thanks for such useful information regarding cancer. It may really help those patient who are suffering from such disease.