Slovak scientists develop cancer-sniffing microchip

The Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAV) is developing a special biochip that is aimed at helping to diagnose cancer and keep track of the progress of the disease, reported the Pravda daily on Tuesday. SAV, which has been cooperating on the project with Trenčín Faculty Hospital and Belgrade University in Serbia, is still in the early stages of developing the innovation, so it will probably take around four-five years before the biochips can be put into use. Despite this, scientists are confident that the chips will make a real difference in detecting and treating cancer. The biochips should not only be able to detect cancer but also determine the stage that the disease has reached. They should also indicate quickly whether a certain form of treatment is working or not. Forms of cancer vary in terms of aggression, and it is important for doctors to obtain precise information on how the disease is developing or whether the patient is going into remission. The biochips, which resemble microscope slides, could even end up being used somewhat like a home pregnancy test, with former cancer patients able to test themselves with a drop of blood to see if the disease has returned.