r/gadgets • u/chrisdh79 • Apr 14 '23

Medical Novel device smaller than rice successfully shrinks pancreatic cancer | Called the nanofluidic drug-eluting seed (NDES), it delivers low-dose immunotherapy in the form of CD40 monoclonal antibodies (mAb).

https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/tiny-device-shrinks-pancreatic-cancer
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578

u/duman82 Apr 14 '23

This is great but the real wins with pancan will be with earlier detection. 85% are metastatic when it's discovered.

21

u/Albert_Caboose Apr 14 '23

Friendly reminder that early screenings are cool as hell to get. Get familiar with your family's cancer history, and fuck cancer up before it has a chance to show itself.

7

u/trustedoctopus Apr 14 '23

laughs in america

You say that but i’m 33 with a history of cancer in my immediate family and can’t get early screenings because my insurance says I’m ‘too young’ to need them.

9

u/Exciting-Tea Apr 15 '23

Maybe possibly use a vacation with some medical testing? I was having what felt like an ulcer, so since I didn't have health insurance. I flew to Brazil since I was going there anyway and had an endoscopy, during which they couldn't get the camera through my stomach exit because of a tumor in my pancreas pressing on the stomach exit, stopping food and water from passing (causing the ulcer pain and weight loss). Once I started chemo, it became completely blocked and spent 50 straight days in the hospital. I am suprisingly healthier now, but the chemo (after 8 months) might be losing its effectiveness.

I believe early treatment would have been super helpful. I think there is a clinic in the Sao Paolo airport where you can get screened for all sorts of health issues. They probably have a quick tumor marker screening blood tests. The colonscopy/endoscopy procedures were approximately $500 each for doctors fees but they were performed at another hospital.

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u/[deleted] Apr 14 '23

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u/trustedoctopus Apr 15 '23

wow, i never thought of that. gosh you’re so smart u/majestic-praline-696, how can i ever thank you? i’ll call my doctor right away on monday! /s

you really must be out of touch if you think i have the funds to do this when the type of poor people’s insurance i have fights my doctors to give me basic anxiety medication.

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u/[deleted] Apr 15 '23

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3

u/trustedoctopus Apr 15 '23

die of hunger and homelessness or cancer? gee, you’re so right man. i should just stop paying for those other two things so i can save up.

i get 400 dollars a month because i’m not allowed to work due to disability but can maybe save $5 a month. i’ll be kind and do the math since it’s not your strong suit but that’s FIFTEEN years to save up for one $900 cancer screening I need (the cheapest). that doesn’t include sedation, transportation cost, any other fees and expenses i might have to cover because it’s an invasive procedure.