#cancer diagnosis technology

[mohrewkey]

AI Speeds Up Cancer Diagnoses, Saving Lives One Hour at a Time

TL;DR: AI’s Role in Faster Cancer Diagnosis AI is enabling early detection of APL, a highly aggressive but curable leukemia. The Leukemia Smart Physician Aid can reduce diagnosis time from days to hours. Peripheral blood smear technology, enhanced by AI, makes global deployment feasible. Funding is critical to ensure this technology reaches clinics worldwide. Shenderov advocates for…

[jcmarchi]

Joseph Mossel, Co-Founder & CEO of Ibex Medical Analytics – Interview Series

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/joseph-mossel-co-founder-ceo-of-ibex-medical-analytics-interview-series/

Joseph Mossel, Co-Founder & CEO of Ibex Medical Analytics – Interview Series

Joseph Mossel is the CEO of Ibex Medical Analytics. His career in the tech industry spans more than 20 years, starting off in software development and product management followed with leadership positions in startups, large multinational corporations and non-profits. Joseph has led products from inception all the way to maturity as multi-million-dollar businesses. He holds a MSc in computer science from Tel Aviv University, and a MSc in environmental science from VU Amsterdam.

Developed by pathologists for pathologists, Ibex is a clinical-grade, multi-tissue platform that helps pathologists detect and grade breast, prostate and gastric cancer, along with more than a hundred other clinically relevant features.

Seamlessly integrated with third party digital pathology software solutions, scanning platforms and laboratory information systems, Ibex’s AI-enabled workflows deliver automated high-quality insights that enhance patient safety, increase physician confidence and boost productivity.

What inspired you to co-found Ibex Medical Analytics (Ibex), and what problem were you aiming to solve?

Cancer, unfortunately, touches everyone–whether they are personally affected, have been a caregiver for someone with cancer, or know of someone who has been impacted. I have relatives and friends who have been affected by cancer, and tragically, one of our employees passed away from cancer.

As cancer incidence continues to rise worldwide, there is an increasing demand for cancer diagnostics that is being compounded by a global shortage of pathologists, whose jobs are becoming more complex with advances in therapy and a demand for more complex diagnostics.

Our platform helps overcome these challenges by empowering pathologists with AI tools that enhance accuracy and streamline workflows to ensure that every patient receives an accurate and timely diagnosis, which is instrumental both in guiding treatment decisions and ultimately improving patient outcomes.

We’re proud of the work we do for our customers, many of whom rely on our technology daily to deliver better diagnoses. Their trust in our solutions highlights the real impact we’re making, transforming the field of pathology, and improving patient outcomes.

Can you share a bit about your background and how it led to your work in AI-powered pathology?

If I look back at my career, there have been two driving forces: a search for a sense of purpose and a preference for interdisciplinarity over deep specialization. I am lucky to run a company that gives me a deep sense of purpose and allows me to work with an incredibly talented team from diverse backgrounds and disciplines.

My original academic background was in computer science, specializing in computational neuroscience. I then worked as an algorithms engineer and moved on to product management. After a stint at a large corporation, I decided that it was not for me. I earned a degree in environmental science and ran an environmental non-profit for several years. Sustainability remains a passion of mine and is considered the great challenge of our time.

Around ten years ago, I met my co-founder, Chaim Linhart, who was equally driven to make a meaningful difference and shared my passion for technology. Chaim, unlike me, is a specialist. He has a PhD in computer science and more than 25 years of experience in algorithm development, AI, and machine learning (ML). In the first days of Ibex, Chaim was busy winning Kaggle (ML) competitions.

When we learned that pathology is being (slowly) digitized, we talked about the impact a digital transformation in pathology could have on improving cancer diagnostics. Hundreds of companies were already developing AI in radiology, and we asked ourselves, why not do the same in pathology? It seemed like a natural fit to bring our technological expertise into the field, collaborating closely with pathologists every step of the way.

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced in the early days of Ibex, and how did you overcome them?

The idea -which we were not the first to come up with- of applying AI to pathology slides was the easy part. Execution is hard. The three main challenges we encountered within the early days of Ibex were access to data, access to capital, and access to domain-specific knowledge.

We solved the data challenge through partnering with Maccabi Health Services of Israel. At that point, we were two fledgling entrepreneurs with no medical knowledge who decided to open a medical startup in a very complex domain. Still, Varda Shalev, who headed Maccabi’s innovation arm at the time, believed in our vision, and we signed a partnership and data-sharing agreement with Maccabi. At this point, Dr. Judith Sandbank, the chief pathologist at Ibex came on board as our Chief Medical Officer (CMO), a position she still holds. With a strategic partner and a CMO, we were now well-positioned to raise a seed round, which we raised from Kamet Ventures, a French venture studio that was part of AXA Insurance.

We were now positioned to make history. We hired two engineers and developed our first algorithm for prostate cancer detection. Once we were happy with the performance, we deployed it at the Maccabi pathology lab as a second read, reviewing all of the cases after an initial read by the pathologist. To our surprise, within a few days, the system raised an alert for a case of cancer that was missed by the pathologist. As far as we know, this was the first case ever where the initial diagnosis of cancer was made by an algorithm, back in 2018.

Congratulations on receiving FDA 510(k) clearance for Ibex Prostate Detect! What does this approval mean for Ibex and the broader field of AI-powered diagnostics?

Thank you! This approval marks a significant milestone in Ibex’s journey and exemplifies our dedication to developing clinically validated solutions that help improve patient health outcomes. It affirms our commitment to the safety and efficacy of our solutions and strengthens our ability to provide cutting-edge innovation to pathologists, ultimately benefiting the patients they serve.

We envision that this tremendous milestone will break down barriers and accelerate the adoption of AI and digitization in pathology. We hope this accomplishment will bolster industry-wide confidence that the technology is easy to implement and ready for wide-scale use. Long-term, FDA clearance is an important step towards achieving reimbursement for AI in pathology and fostering widespread adoption.

The FDA validation process highlighted a 13% rate of missed cancers in initial benign diagnoses. What does this tell us about the potential of AI to improve diagnostic accuracy?

In the robust precision and clinical validation studies conducted at multiple United States and European laboratories as part of the FDA clearance, the system identified a 13% rate of missed cancers in a cohort of consecutive patients initially diagnosed as benign. This statistic reinforces the accuracy and impact of Ibex’s products, and it also validates that Ibex’s AI platform can be integrated safely into clinical workflows, enhancing diagnostic precision and ultimately improving patient care. By providing an additional layer of analysis, our technology is helping to reduce errors, enable better clinical decision-making, and promote patient safety.

As for potential, while the clearance serves as a critical validation of our technology, our solution has already been making a meaningful impact in the market. This is a testament to the daily hard work in pathology labs, and we see this as a step forward in improving health outcomes globally. We can’t help but imagine the impact this would have if labs across the United States embraced a digital transformation.

How does Ibex Prostate Detect work, and what makes it unique compared to other AI-driven pathology solutions?

Ibex Prostate Detect is an in vitro diagnostic medical device that harnesses AI to generate heatmaps identifying missed prostatic cancers. Acting as a safety net, Ibex Prostate Detect assists pathologists in ensuring that patients receive an accurate diagnosis. It leverages AI algorithms to enhance the accuracy of a prostate cancer diagnosis.

The device is intended to identify tumors that may have been missed by the pathologist. If suspicious tissue for prostate cancer is identified, the system generates an alert and includes a heatmap, directing the pathologist to areas likely to contain cancer. Ibex Prostate Detect is the only FDA-cleared solution that provides AI-powered heatmaps for all areas with a likelihood of cancer, offering full explainability to the reviewing pathologist.

Can you explain how the heatmap feature assists pathologists in identifying cancerous tissue?

Ibex Prostate Detect is intended to identify cases initially diagnosed as benign for further review by a pathologist. If it detects tissue morphology suspicious for prostate adenocarcinoma (AdC), atypical small acinar proliferation (ASAP), and other rare cancer subtypes, it provides alerts that include a heatmap of tissue areas in the whole slide images that is likely to contain cancer, offering full explainability to the reviewing pathologist.

Generally, the heatmap is accurate and precise and may provide the pathologist with areas of concern that they can focus on and determine the correct diagnosis. In the precision and clinical validation studies conducted as part of the FDA clearance, Ibex Prostate Detect’s heatmaps demonstrated extreme pixel accuracy and determined the following:

Nearly all cancer areas are covered by the heatmap (sensitivity=98.7%).

Almost everything highlighted as high probability of cancer in the heatmap is indeed cancer (PPV=99.6%).

The missed cancer cases (false negatives) identified by the system were subsequently verified by expert pathologists, confirming the product’s clinical utility and benefits compared with the current standard of care.

How does the AI model differentiate between benign and malignant tissue, and how was it trained?

The Deep Learning algorithm is based on multilayered convolutional neural networks, operating on several magnification levels. The AI is exceptionally robust, demonstrating high accuracy across multiple labs and patient demographics. Of note, in line with our mantra of ‘by pathologists, for pathologists,’ the model was trained on over a million slides painstakingly annotated by world-renowned pathologists at leading medical centers. This approach is costly, but we believe that without the insight of pathologists it is very difficult to reach the level of performance we are aiming for. By doing this, we equip all pathologists with expert insights and ensure that every patient, regardless of their location, receives a level of diagnosis on par with the world’s leading specialists.

Beyond prostate cancer, Ibex is also working on solutions for breast and gastric cancers. What’s next for the company in terms of new diagnostic capabilities?

Ibex is already having a huge impact on AI-powered diagnostic solutions for breast and gastric cancers. As the worldwide leader in live clinical rollouts, many labs – including those in the United States – are already using Ibex products to transform their medical practice. Our products are proven to deliver real-world clinical impact, and pathologists both trust the AI and attest to the value it brings. Now, we are working to release a new type of technology into the market, a technology that was developed and validated by Ibex in collaboration with AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo. The specific algorithm that is the first to be released helps quantify HER2 expression, which helps providers determine the course of treatment for the patient.

Looking ahead, we’ll continue to expand our offerings to provide additional insights within the tissue types we already support. We’re also looking to provide offerings within other tissue areas and continue improving our customers’ workflows.

How do you see AI-powered pathology evolving in the next five to ten years?

I envision that AI will have a profound impact on the practice of pathology and the way cancer is diagnosed. I don’t see us replacing pathologists, but as with every new technological development, the practice will be transformed. AI will continue to be instrumental in addressing the growing workforce challenges in healthcare, particularly the global shortage of pathologists and their increasing caseloads driven by rising cancer cases. Implementing responsible AI will help pathologists manage their workloads more effectively, improving diagnostic efficiency and reducing delays. By automating routine tasks, AI can lower error rates, improve the quality of diagnosis, and ultimately boost pathologists’ confidence in their work. I strongly feel that AI, together with a human in the loop, is the best combination for transforming healthcare.

Another area with great promise is expanding beyond the current practice of pathology into the realm of predictive algorithms. Algorithms that potentially combine several modalities to predict outcomes or, crucially, treatment efficacy.

AI can also enhance health equity through democratized health access. Regardless of location, every patient, everywhere deserves a trusted diagnosis. It would be great for AI technology to be deployed as part of standard practice in every pathology lab worldwide. However, this starts with collaboration among physicians, the industry, and agencies to accelerate the deployment of this technology–I feel we owe it to patients.

Thank you for the great interview, readers who wish to learn more should visit Ibex Medical Analytics.

[likitakans]

AI and Health: New Technologies Paving the Way for Better Treatment

Artificial intelligence (AI) is expanding rapidly in the health sector, and it is revolutionizing our medical system. With the help of AI, new technologies are being developed that are not only helpful in accurately diagnosing diseases but are also playing an important role in personalized treatment and management.

Quick and accurate diagnosis of diseases AI-based tools can now analyze medical imaging data such as X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs quickly and accurately. This helps doctors to quickly detect complex conditions such as cancer, heart diseases, and neurological problems.

Personalized medicine AI can help create personalized treatment plans for every individual by analyzing genomics and biometrics. This technology ensures that the patient gets the right medicine and the right dose at the right time.

Improved health management AI-based health apps and wearables such as smart watches are now helping people monitor their health condition. These devices regularly track health indicators such as heart rate, blood pressure and sleep quality.

Accelerating medical research The role of AI has become extremely important in the development of new drugs and vaccines. Using AI, scientists can analyze complex data sets and make new medical discoveries faster.

Accessible and affordable healthcare AI technology is helping in delivering affordable and effective healthcare, even in rural and remote areas. Telemedicine and virtual health assistants are bridging the gap between patients and doctors.

Conclusion Artificial intelligence is playing an important role in making healthcare more effective, accurate, and accessible. However, there are challenges such as data security and ethics in the use of AI technology which need to be dealt with. In the coming years, with more advanced and innovative uses of AI, the healthcare landscape may change completely.

[reasonsforhope]

"A medical technology company in Australia is aiming for a world-first: it wants to launch a blood test for endometriosis (sometimes called 'endo' for short) within the first half of this year [2025].

In a recent peer-reviewed trial, its novel test proved 99.7 percent accurate at distinguishing severe cases of endometriosis from patients without the disease but with similar symptoms.

Even in the early stages of the disease, when blood markers may be harder to pick out, the test's accuracy remained over 85 percent.

The company behind the patent, Proteomics International, says it is currently adapting the method "for use in a clinical environment," with a target launch date in Australia for the second quarter of this year [2025].

The test is called PromarkerEndo.

"This advancement marks a significant step toward non-invasive, personalized care for a condition that has long been underserved by current medical approaches," managing director of Proteomics International Richard Lipscombe said in a press release from December 30.

Endometriosis is a common inflammatory disease that occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows in other parts of the body, forming lesions. The disease can be very painful, and yet the average patient often suffers debilitating symptoms for up to seven years before they are properly diagnosed.

While there are numerous reasons for such a long delay, symptoms of endometriosis are often highly variable, unpredictable, difficult to measure or describe, and dismissed or overlooked by doctors.

Today, the only definitive way to diagnose endometriosis is via keyhole surgery called a laparoscopy, which is expensive, invasive, and carries risks.

Proteomics International is hoping to change that.

In collaboration with researchers at the University of Melbourne and the Royal Women's Hospital, the company compared the bloodwork data from 749 participants of mostly European descent.

Some had endometriosis and others had symptoms that were similar to endo but without the lesions. All participants had a laparoscopy to confirm the presence or absence of the disease.

Sifting through the bloodwork, researchers ran several different algorithms to figure out which proteins in the blood were best at predicting endometriosis of varying stages.

Building on previous research, a panel of 10 proteins showed a "clear association" with endometriosis.

For years now, scientists have investigated possible blood biomarkers of endometriosis to see if they could differentiate between those who have endo and those who do not. Similar to cancerous tumors, endo lesions can establish their own blood supply, and if cervical cancer can be diagnosed via a blood test, it seemed possible that endometriosis could be, too...

Proteomics International claims patents for PromarkerEndo are "pending in all major jurisdictions," starting first in Australia.

It remains to be seen if the company's blood test lives up to the hype and is approved by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). But that's not outside the realm of possibility.

In November of 2023, some researchers predicted that a "reliable non-invasive biomarker for endometriosis is highly likely in the coming years."

Perhaps this is the year."

-via ScienceAlert, January 9, 2025

--

Note: As someone with endometriosis, let me say that this is a HUGE deal. The condition is incredibly common, incredibly understudied, and incredibly often dismissed. Massive sexism at work here.

I got very lucky and got diagnosed after about 6 months of chronic pain (and extra extra lucky, because my pain went away with medication). But as the article says, the average time to diagnosis is seven years.

Being able to confirm endometriosis diagnoses/rates without invasive surgery will also lead to huge progress in studying/creating treatments for endo.

And fyi: If you have a period that is so painful that you can't stand up, or have to go home from school/work, or vomit, or anything else debilitating (or if any of those things apply if you forget to take pain meds), that is NOT NORMAL, and you should talk to a competent gynecologist asap.

[market-insider]

Unraveling the Intricacies of the Molecular Diagnostics Market and its Future Prospects

The global molecular diagnostics market size is expected to reach USD 17.97 billion by 2030, and expanding at a CAGR of 4.5% from 2024 to 2030, according to a recent study by Grand View Research, Inc. The contraction in the market will be due to the decline in demand for molecular testing for COVID-19. However, factors such as the rising geriatric population and increasing demand for technologies such as NGS is expected to drive market growth.

Molecular Diagnostics Market Report Highlights

The reagents segment dominated the market and accounted for a share of 62.2% of the global revenue in 2023. It is expected to maintain its dominance throughout the forecast years owing to its wide application scope in research & clinical settings and increasing adoption of novel tests.

The polymerase chain reaction technology segment accounted for the largest revenue share in 2023. This is attributed to its use in detecting COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.

The infectious diseases segment accounted for the largest revenue share in 2023. The increased usage of molecular, particularly PCR tests, for diagnosing COVID-19 has increased the segment share significantly.

The central laboratories segment dominated the industry in 2023 owing to high procedure volumes for COVID testing and other healthcare indications in central laboratories.

North America dominated the market and accounted for a 39.3% share in 2023. This is attributed to the rising epidemiology of infectious as well as chronic diseases, thus, encouraging companies to introduce novel molecular diagnostic tests, thereby boosting market growth.

Asia Pacific is anticipated to exhibit significant growth from 2024 to 2030 owing to increased market penetration, initiatives of local market players to increase the adoption of novel diagnostic technologies, and high unmet market needs.

For More Details or Sample Copy please visit link @: Molecular Diagnostics Market Report

Molecular diagnostics plays an important role in infectious disease testing as they can yield effective and fast results. Hence, the increasing prevalence of hospital-acquired infections & infectious diseases is projected to drive the market over the forecast period. Increasing incidence and awareness regarding genetic disorders is further anticipated to accelerate market growth. The miniaturization of three basic molecular assays-nanobiotechnology, biochips, and microfluidics are expected to increase the accuracy and specificity of diagnostic outcomes, and hence, increase the demand for molecular diagnostic products. These improvements are expected to enhance the availability of PoC molecular diagnostic tests to yield quick and effective test results.

Companies are expanding their product portfolios with the acquisition of smaller companies. For instance, in March 2021, Hologic announced the acquisition of Diagenode-a molecular diagnostic company with a wide range of PCR instruments, facilitating the detection of over 30 bacteria-for USD 159 million. Similarly, in April 2021, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. acquired GenMark Diagnostics, Inc. at a price of USD 24.05 per share in cash, and it holds around 82.89% of total shares of GenMark Diagnostics. GenMark Diagnostics, Inc. has proprietary technologies, such as eSensor XT-8 and ePlex, which can be utilized in developing tests for infectious diseases, including bloodstream infections.

#MolecularDiagnostics #PrecisionMedicine #HealthcareInnovation #GenomicTesting #DiagnosticsTechnology #Biotechnology #PersonalizedMedicine #DiagnosticRevolution #NGS #BiomarkerDiscovery #InfectiousDiseaseDiagnosis #CancerDetection #Theranostics #Bioinformatics #MolecularBiology #DiagnosticTrends #MedicalTechnology #LaboratoryTesting #PointofCareDiagnostics #HealthTechInnovation

[harmeet-saggi]

Empowering Women Worldwide: Enhancing Breast Cancer Diagnosis For Better Survival Rates

Breast cancer knows no boundaries; it affects women from all walks of life, transcending borders and cultures. Yet, when it comes to early diagnosis and survival rates, disparities persist. In this article, we'll dive into how technology is transforming breast cancer diagnosis, empowering women worldwide to lead healthier lives.

[wellhealthhub]

How long can you have breast cancer without knowing?

Curious about the timeline of undetected breast cancer? Dive into the intricacies of silent breast cancer development, its potential duration, and the crucial significance of early identification. Breast cancer stands as a prominent health concern, demanding timely recognition for effective treatment. Yet, the question remains: how long can breast cancer remain concealed, evading discovery? This…

[mindblowingscience]

The average glioblastoma patient survives 12-18 months after diagnosis. The crux of the diagnostic is a biochip that uses electrokinetic technology to detect biomarkers, or active Epidermal Growth Factor Receptors (EGFRs), which are overexpressed in certain cancers such as glioblastoma and found in extracellular vesicles. “Extracellular vesicles or exosomes are unique nanoparticles secreted by cells. They are big—10 to 50 times bigger than a molecule—and they have a weak charge. Our technology was specifically designed for these nanoparticles, using their features to our advantage,” says Hsueh-Chia Chang, a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at the University of Notre Dame and lead author of the study about the diagnostic published in Communications Biology.

Continue Reading.

[heathermooch]

I really wish it was talked about more how exhausting it is to constantly have your phone selling your data on things that are so personal. My phone is listening in on my therapy appointments and getting Reels on depression. Speaking about how I’m afraid my cat may have cancer and being fed Tiktok video algorithm videos of people in hospice, their life before & after diagnosis, confessing to a friend how you’re starting to get physical effects from being overweight and now finding a slew of workout recommendations & finspo. I don’t get to be human, because there is an all-seeing group of numbers who are trying to recreate my human experience for me. Interspersed with Wegovy ads, Temu trash, the AI Coca Cola slop. It makes me and millions of other people feel alone. A product to a company I have no idea I was a line item more. Worthy only with my eyes, tracking every millisecond I watch a storytime about the worst day of someone’s life. This is not how life is supposed to be like. But hey, at least if I get more apathetic, I can be sold for another Better Help ad, self-conscious to be sold for a HelloFresh subscription, or if I’m lucky enough to be shown 15 minutes into scrolling, content from a friend so I can have the algorithm push a sponsored VRBO video of a cool experience to have with friends. Self-censorship like unalive or G@za just to get our points across so the platform can trick some corporation into believing it's a safe platform to sell on.

I’ve been deleting social media apps from my phone when I don’t use it. I “ask” apps to disable the location, microphone & camera access, which should never be a suggestion. I click “only necessary” cookies when visiting sites even if I have to press that button every time a new page loads on their domain. I avoid Facebook almost altogether due to its predilection for AI engagement bait. I stopped using Twitter last year after the rage bait & bot problem became apparent. I was asked by someone much younger than me why Tumblr feels like the old internet, and I said without really thinking about it, there isn’t a financial incentive for people to be upset with each other. And you know what, as poignant as it was, it made me realize why I’ve spent most of my time on Tumblr lately. Because I feel less like a product.

So yes, maybe it is harder to get a hold of me. Maybe I don’t post on social media like I used to. But I’m trying to find even the smallest modicum of control over and peace over a piece of technology I need for my livelihood. And I can’t believe, over 20 years after it’s mass public introduction, we still have lawmakers who feign ignorance on how the internet works to not enact true change in the US. All while the suicide rate for children rises, having thousands of professionals point to social media algorithms, just to be struck down by one billionaire cuck making a well-placed & timed donation. Say I'm preaching to the choir, talking to my echo chamber, but I'm not the one who coded the echo chamber.

[mariacallous]

Jaiwen Hsu was an active 11-year-old when he developed pain in his left knee that forced him to sit out a few soccer games. What his parents thought was a sports injury turned out to be osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer.

He started chemotherapy, which doctors warned could result in infertility. Hsu hadn’t reached puberty yet, so sperm banking wasn’t an option. His parents enrolled him in a study that was collecting and storing immature testicular tissue, and the sperm-forming stem cells in them, from young patients with the goal of eventually giving them a way to have biological children.

Now 26, Hsu and his doctors are waiting to see if an experimental transplant of these cells, extracted from a tissue sample taken back in 2011, will be able to restart sperm production. The procedure has been successful in mice and monkeys, but researchers say Hsu was the first person to undergo it in November 2023. The technique is detailed in a new paper that has yet to be peer-reviewed.

“As an 11-year-old, I don’t think I could quite understand the severity of having a cancer diagnosis or comprehend the idea of starting a family down the road and how important that would be,” Hsu tells WIRED.

In the early stages of his cancer treatment, Hsu and his family traveled from their home in Maryland to UPMC Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, where doctors collected a piece of testicular tissue containing the precious sperm stem cells. These stem cells are present even before puberty. During puberty, rising testosterone levels signal to these cells to develop into sperm, a process known as spermatogenesis.

In November 2023, at age 24, Hsu was reunited with those cells. After undergoing anesthesia, he received an injection of them into one of his testes. The hope is that the cells engraft into the spaghetti-like tubules of the testis and develop into mature sperm.

“If it works, those stem cells should regenerate spermatogenesis,” says Kyle Orwig, a professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and the senior author on the new study. Even if it kick-starts sperm production, it might not be enough to come out in the ejaculate. “If there are, there definitely would not be enough sperm to restore natural fertility,” Orwig says.

In animals, it’s possible to remove a larger piece of testicular tissue, which yields more stem cells and more sperm. But in children undergoing cancer treatment, it’s important to minimize harm—and recovery time���so only a small amount of tissue is taken. That results in a relatively small number of stem cells.

For that reason, Hsu will likely still need assistive reproductive technology if he wants to start a family. He’s not at that point yet, but he said he chose to undergo the procedure now, in his mid-twenties, because “it gives us a good time cushion to see if this works.”

In the future, surgeons would likely need to cut into his testis and extract any sperm that might be there, which would then be used to fertilize an egg in a laboratory. Until Hsu is ready to have a child, researchers probably won’t know if the procedure worked.

“What we expected out of this initial transplant was to demonstrate that the method was safe and that it was feasible,” Orwig says. Ultrasounds show that Hsu’s testicular tissue was unharmed by the procedure and his hormone levels are in the normal range. For now, his semen still lacks sperm.

More transplants could happen soon. Orwig’s team has been banking testicular tissue from children since 2011, and now some of those patients are entering reproductive age. His group has received permission from an institutional review board to do transplants of stem cells, as well as testicular tissue, as part of a clinical trial.

Transplanting immature testicular tissue is an alternative approach that researchers are exploring. In that technique, a piece of preserved tissue is tucked under the skin of the scrotum. The hope is that the tissue will mature and eventually produce sperm. In monkeys, Orwig and his team transplanted testicular tissue, then removed that grafted tissue eight to 12 months later and extracted sperm from it. They used the sperm to fertilize eggs and transferred the resulting embryos into surrogate from female macaques, which resulted in a live birth.

To retrieve the sperm, a sliver of tissue is cut away from the skin—a less invasive procedure than the stem cell transplant, which requires opening up the testis.

When Orwig’s team first started collecting testicular tissue, he thought they would get more stem cells by isolating them from the tissue first and then freezing them. They did this with their first few patients, including Hsu. But later, they discovered they could get just as many stem cells or more from cryopreserving whole pieces of tissue, then later thawing them and extracting the cells. It meant that Hsu could only undergo a stem cell transplant, because just his cells were frozen. Other patients who froze whole pieces of tissue will have the option of trying either the stem cell or tissue transplant.

In January, researchers at Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Brussels IVF in Belgium announced that they had performed the first testicular tissue transplant in a patient who underwent chemotherapy in childhood. The patient will be monitored for one year, with his semen being tested for the presence of sperm. After a year, doctors will remove some of the transplanted pieces of tissue to check for sperm.

“For these patients who get life-saving cancer therapies, they are very often left with permanently impaired fertility as a result,” says Robert Brannigan, president-elect of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and professor of urology at Northwestern University. “It’s hard to say which approach is going to be the one that is more effective, but I think both approaches really are worthy of further study.”

A similar procedure, called ovarian tissue transplantation, is available for female cancer patients and has resulted in more than 200 live births worldwide. It’s more advanced than testicular freezing and transplantation because in adult men needing chemotherapy, there is usually the option of freezing sperm, whereas the equivalent practice in women—freezing eggs—can take two to three weeks, and patients may not have time to undergo it before starting chemotherapy. When egg freezing isn’t possible, a piece of tissue from the ovary can be collected and stored for later use.

“It’s very nice to see that we are catching up a bit so that we can offer our young men the same sorts of opportunities we’re able to offer our young women,” says Jonathan Routh, a pediatric urologist at Duke Health. “Keeping kids alive is always goal number one, but allowing them to then live that life is really goal number two, and I think that’s where this study really will have an impact on the future.”

Hsu realizes that the technology is still in its infancy, and it might not work for him. Even if he can’t have a biological child, he hopes these techniques will eventually open up options for other childhood cancer patients. “This is a practice that is just beginning,” he says. “The more support, the more research, and the more data we have, the better for people like me down the line.”

[darkmaga-returns]

Forget the WHO. That’s so old school. Enter Stargate and the Made-In-The-USA version of science-based medical dictatorship. If Larry Ellison’s AI gives you an “ironclad” diagnosis of, say, CANCER and makes a special mRNA/DNA vaccine for you, the machine will roll up your sleeve and ram the needle into your arm. There will be no second opinion. There will be no appeal. There will be no exemption. Don’t even think about what will happen to you if you refuse.

There is a dark spiritual overtone to Technopopulism: God is instructing Trump to pursue “Manifest Destiny” to conquer new frontiers in geography and technology. This would not be just deception but spiritual delusion.

I remember the movie The Ten Commandments with Yule Brenner as Pharaoh, a prototype of the ultimate potentate. When he said, “So let be written, so let it done”, that was the end of the matter. Just like AI. ⁃ Patrick Wood,  Editor.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Leor Sapir

Published: Apr 4, 2024

Across the United States, thousands of parents have consented to having their children’s puberty stopped with a class of drugs called gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists. Known colloquially as “puberty blockers,” these drugs overstimulate the pituitary gland to the point of preventing it from sending signals to the ovaries or testes to start producing the hormones responsible for puberty.

Parents who have consented to these drugs for their children love their kids dearly, but they’ve consented under entirely false pretenses. The doctors who’ve advised them say that puberty blockers are known to improve mental health — that they are even life-saving — and that they are fully reversible and just give kids “time to think.” None of this is true.

Major American medical associations say that “gender-affirming care” for kids is “medically necessary” and “life-saving.” Health authorities Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and the U.K. disagree. Last month, the National Health Service of England decommissioned puberty blockers as a treatment of adolescent gender dysphoria. “We have concluded that there is not enough evidence to support the safety or clinical effectiveness of [puberty blockers] to make the treatment routinely available at this time,” the NHSE explained.

Imagine if American doctors told parents the following truths. The mental health benefits of puberty blockers are highly uncertain, according to multiple systematic reviews of the evidence, the bedrock of evidence-based medicine. The World Health Organization says the evidence is “limited and variable.” There is no research into long-term harms, but some evidence suggests decreased IQ and brittle bones. Permanent sterility is guaranteed for minors who go through full hormonal “transition.” Sexual dysfunction appears to be extremely common as well. Over 93 percent of kids who take these drugs go on to cross-sex hormones, which lead to permanent physical changes including excruciating genital growth, vaginal atrophy and tearing and much higher risk for cancer and cardiovascular disease.

There is no credible evidence that puberty blockers function as suicide-prevention measures. Finland’s top gender clinician has called the suicide narrative “purposeful disinformation” and “dangerous.” For all these reasons, health authorities in a growing number of countries, including some of the most LGBT-friendly, are now prioritizing talk therapy.

How many parents would consent to puberty blockers under these circumstances? Very few, if any.

It is common for drugs to enter pediatric use after evidence of their success in adult medicine. The opposite happened in gender medicine. It was the failure of “sex reassignment” in adult men to achieve satisfactory cosmetic outcomes and improve life functioning that led a group of clinicians in the Netherlands to propose starting the “reassignment” process in childhood.

Their hypothesis was as technologically appealing as it was ethically dubious: since males could not reverse the effects of testosterone-fueled puberty to pass as women, it would be beneficial to these men to have their puberty bypassed altogether.

The Dutch recognized the dilemma but thought they found a way around it. Relying on their experience using puberty blockers to treat a condition known as central precocious puberty (CPP), they argued that blockers were fully reversible and thus part of the diagnostic process. If it turned out that the kid wasn’t “truly trans,” the drugs would be discontinued and puberty allowed to resume.

Their argument was dubious from the get-go. First, CPP has an objective diagnosis, based on a blood sample, whereas gender transition is based on the adolescent’s feelings and experiences, which are subject to change. In a political climate such as ours, in which mere exploration of the reasons for rejecting one’s body can be labeled “conversion therapy,” differential diagnosis becomes impossible.

As Dr. Jason Rafferty, author of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ current policy statement on “gender-affirming care,” has put it, “the child’s sense of reality and feeling of who they are is the navigational beacon to sort of orient treatment around.” The AAP statement has been witheringly critiqued, and Rafferty and the AAP are now defendants in lawsuits by former patients.

Second, in CPP puberty suppression is by definition temporary; the goal is to delay puberty to its appropriate developmental window. In gender dysphoria, a “successful” prescription is where puberty is bypassed altogether. The assumption about reversibility, never tested and highly questionable form the start, proved to be the ethical foundation for the entire Dutch experiment, and it quickly crumbled. Over 93 percent of adolescents who are put on puberty blockers for gender issues continue down the medical pathway to cross-sex hormones. Some go on to surgeries.

Gender clinicians do not see this suspiciously high figure as a reason to rethink their approach. They see no possibility of iatrogenesis — a medical intervention that unintentionally induces harm, in this case by causing gender distress or confusion to persist artificially. On the contrary, they regard the high persistence rate as proof of their own remarkable diagnostic abilities.

More modest and scientifically-minded clinicians and researchers see things very differently. “Blocking puberty,” writes Sallie Baxendale, a professor of neuropsychology and author of an important new study on puberty blockers, “prevents the critical rewiring in the brain that underpins the ability make complex decisions. Puberty blockers may give children time to think but they simultaneously rob them of their developing capacity to do so.”

What is likely happening is that an ongoing youth mental health crisis whose origins predate and have little to do with gender is being misdiagnosed and mistreated with harmful and experimental drugs. Puberty blockers are the definition of a “quick fix” solution.

Researchers incorrectly refer to what the Dutch did as an experiment. In an experiment, falsifiable hypotheses are proposed, alternative interventions are tested, outcomes are monitored and competing explanations for observed results are thoughtfully ruled out.

The Dutch did nothing of the sort, according to a comprehensive scholarly examination of their study. Further, the only attempt to replicate that study, which was done in the U.K., failed. The researchers had to be forced to disclose their disappointing findings. Any scientific-minded person willing to put in the effort and read the literature will come to the same conclusion: Pediatric gender medicine is an industry built on fraud.

During the 2000s and 2010s, the Dutch pseudo-experiment with puberty blockers “escaped the lab” and became entangled in a fast-growing international social movement for transgender recognition. In the U.S., the drugs are being prescribed at numbers far exceeding anything the Dutch could possibly have imagined. Most adolescents referred to pediatric gender clinics are teen girls who have no history of dysphoria in childhood but who do have other mental health challenges that predate their distress with their bodies.

American medicine is no stranger to scandal — lobotomy, “recovered memory” and OxyContin are just a few examples. What makes pediatric gender transition unique is that it has been framed as a nonnegotiable civil right and defended by powerful civil rights groups, the Democratic Party and their ideological allies in the mainstream media.

A key reason for the divergence between U.S. and European medical authorities, as I’ve explained in a previous essay, is the latter’s greater willingness to follow principles of evidence-based medicine, including reliance on systematic reviews. Jack Turban, a prominent American gender clinician, revealed in a deposition that he seems not to know what a systematic review of evidence is.

Another reason is that in the U.S., doctors who practice child “transition” demand and often receive deference as the experts on the evidence for their practices; abroad, such clinicians are seen as having conflicts of interest. When the National Health Service of England appointed the highly respected Dr. Hilary Cass to lead its review of its youth gender service, it did so precisely because she was “a senior clinician with no prior involvement or fixed views in this area.” Sweden and Finland delegated the evaluation of evidence to experts with no personal involvement or stake in pediatric gender medicine.

Parents should never have been put in the position of having to decide whether to “allow” their kids to go through puberty. Those who would put the onus on parents are letting charlatans in the medical profession off the hook. Puberty is difficult for all teens, and it is not a disease. Puberty blockers offer teens in distress — especially girls with history of sexual abuse, autistic kids and gay kids — false hope by casting puberty as optional.

Puberty is a rite of passage from childhood into adulthood, responsible for the development of the body’s major organs and systems and not just its external sexual features. Puberty blockers rob children of their right to an open future.

[gtscenterforwellness]

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[flightfoot]

Reeeally hope they don't burn out or anything cause wow that sounds like a lot

Also

https://youtu.be/_FrJ3oH92EQ?si=BC5ew5-xB3Y784ps

44:30

Though he calls Lady Tiger the first sick hero and apparently forgot all about Pigella's unspecified condition

Admitted cancer is a lot more serious and also a much more concrete diagnosis

(Honestly I was kind of hoping that cancer had been cured in the Miraculous world given that their technology is a lot more advanced than the real world)

Huh, that's a lot. I'm not sure whether that will actually come to fruition, it's pretty ambitious.

I'm curious how they'll handle having someone with cancer be a superhero. I'm guessing they'll probably pretend like her condition wouldn't impact her superheroing as much as it probably would (e.g., low energy), like how Marvel pretends that Sun Spider's EDS wouldn't dislocate every bone in her body when she tries to run and jump around, even though it's severe enough that she needs a wheelchair in her civilian life. I'm guessing the idea is to give kids with cancer a cool superhero to relate to, since Deadpool isn't exactly kid-friendly, and to especially help with kids who are insecure with hair loss due to cancer treatments.

[saturniandevil]

April 2024 Important Dates

AKA my notes on The Astrology Podcast's April forecast, hosted by Chris Brennan and Diana Rose Harper (Austin is away on paternity leave). This is one of the most astrologically active months in the year. In addition to planetary movements, there's a comet that will be visible soon in the night sky and a nova.

We're going into the month right off the tail of a Libra lunar eclipse on March 25th. We're in "eclipse season," the time between eclipses, with much activity to report. Starting off, Baltimore's Key Bridge collapsed after a container ship crashed into it, which Austin called last forecast when he said that Mars's entry into Pisces (approaching a conjunction to Saturn) would involve a sudden halt in maritime trade. Astrologically it's quite on the nose, with a Libra (associated with trade/commerce) moon conjunct the South Node (symbolizing lack and decrease). We even have a chart for the opening of this bridge: it was an exact Mars return for this bridge, as well as its Uranus opposition and nodal opposition. Also on the Libra eclipse was the UN Security Council's vote for a ceasefire in Gaza. The April 8th eclipse will show us whether this resolution is successful, and a final Libra eclipse in October will tie these events together.

In celebrity news, we had obviously doctored photos of Kate Middleton prompting increasingly wild speculation on what the British royal family was hiding, culminating in Kate announcing her cancer diagnosis & chemotherapy plans on the March 22nd Venus(women, exalted in Pisces = royalty)-Saturn (slow illnesses) conjunction. She was also born on a lunar eclipse & announced this right before one. Just 3 days after the eclipse, on March 28th, Sam Bankman-Fried of FTX was sentenced to 25 years in prison, the newest development in a story that began on an eclipse when BitCoin crashed and revealed his role in one of the biggest instances of financial fraud in US history.

In smaller news, a nova in the T Coronae Borealis system will be visible as a new star in the night sky this year. This nova is visible every 76 years or so (the last time was 1946), and has been observed as far back as the Middle Ages. Add this to the eclipses and the comet, and Chris hasn't seen such an astrological buildup since forecasting 2020. As the eclipse hit his 3rd house Donald Trump published a book combining the Bible and the US Constitution, while in other news an orca was stranded in British Columbia, another dolphin & orca-related development in the (Mars-)Saturn in Pisces in cycle and Arizona announced Pluto as their state planet.

April Overview: with significant activity in Pisces, Aries, and Taurus simultaneously, we'll be getting hard aspects to every modality (and trines to every element)--everyone will be getting hit with some kind of change (but will have opportunities for growth as well). Chris makes a distinction between the challenging first half of the month, and a second half which will see more clarity.

April 1st - Mercury stations retrograde By time of posting this retrograde is in full swing: disruptions in communication, plans, travel and technology. Diana describes this as especially frustrating in Aries, trying to go one way but some huge miscommunication gets in the way. We may have to walk back on words spoken in anger and renegotiate situations where we identified the wrong target as our enemy. With the eclipse's ruler Mars conjoining Saturn on the 10th, anyone who travels for the eclipse and hangs around for a few days may run into blockages, likely due to rain and floods. Other general Mercury retrograde significations: people come back into your life, unfinished projects become relevant again, and situations from the past resurface. For example, Sagittarius risings often see the "duderang" effect where male lovers come back into their lives, as Mercury rules their Gemini 7th house. Mercury rx also brings delays and slowdowns, and is generally a good time for introspection and "emotional alchemy."

April 3rd - Venus conjoins Neptune This occurs right as she leaves the sign of Pisces. Venus-Neptune keywords: dreamy, fantastical, imaginative (especially with art), compassionate, and opportunities to find new avenues of enjoyment and pleasure. Saturn's copresence in Pisces can bring us some grounding and reality. This can also bring unclear boundaries, uncertain relationships, and idealizing one's lover--like using the soft lens. In events, AI images and videos and toxic synthetic dyes also fall under Venus-Neptune. Is the siren's call too good to be true?

April 4th - Venus enters Aries Chris hopes that Venus's copresence to the eclipse will mitigate some of its effects, but on the flipside this means she's left Mars and Saturn alone with each other in the Pisces chart of our house.

April 8th - Total Solar Eclipse in Aries This eclipse will be visible over much of the (particularly eastern) continental US:

Diana calls it a chiron eclipse, so here's the chart with chiron:

The Moon will eclipse the Sun at 19 Aries, which is where Chiron will be as well. Mythologically, Hercules brings back the head (North Node, Aries) of the hydra to Chiron, whose poison causes him incredible pain because he is immortal and cannot die from it. He eventually trades his immortality for Prometheus and Zeus puts him in the heavens as a constellation. Narratively, eclipses invert what we expect: it becomes dark in the middle of the day! Prominent people fall suddenly from grace and new rulers skyrocket to power during eclipses. Because the eclipse occurs in the sign of the Sun's exaltation, leaders and heads of state/organization/etc will be especially affected. A similar Chiron-influenced Aries solar eclipse occurred in 1968 when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. Nelson Mandela was sent to jail under an eclipse, but was also freed under another eclipse and elected to office under yet another eclipse.

For individuals, make note of what house this occurs in for you; this will be the end of one chapter and the opening of a new one in this area of life. Anything close to 19° of Aries will definitely feel it, as will any placements at that degree of Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn (hard aspects to the cardinal signs), while 19 Leo and Sagittarius (trine to fire signs) may feel some support. Generally, this series of events in Aries-Libra began a year ago, and will have its final eclipse on this axis in March of 2025.

This eclipse is ruled by a Mars (♓) who's just about conjunct with Saturn (♓), grinding things to a halt. Whatever's happening in the Aries and Pisces place is going to take some extra time. Other keywords: the end of a life cycle, matters of great importance & turning points in world history, major disasters as well as scientific discoveries. Eclipses highlight just how much is out of our control, like being on a teacup ride that's going too fast and being unable to stop unless something hits you. 6 months later, we'll get an eclipse that connects to some of these events:

Diana also points out that there will be an influx of tourists to rural areas of the US, advising travelers to stay courteous and noting that many local municipalities advise residents to stock up on basic supplies so they won't be lacking when a small area is flooded with new people & their needs. Generally, the eclipse will be a very creepy experience, with the Sun going completely dark, colors becoming muted, and stars may even be visible--some cultures have warnings against going outside during eclipses. Back to metaphors, Chris points out that the small seeds of much larger events are often planted during eclipses. Sometimes you don't know until later just how important this obscured implantation is because, like the Sun, our vision is occulted. Take notes, even of subtle things.

April 10th - Mars conjunct Saturn in Pisces We expect the two malefics to bring us challenges: their conjunctions in late Capricorn & early Aquarius heralded the first COVID lockdowns, and other hard aspects brought new variants and similar pandemic news. In 2022 a Mars-Saturn conjunction occurred with an epidemic of ebola. However, note that these are all airborne viruses, and these movements occurred with Saturn in the air sign of Aquarius. What will this look like in Pisces, a water sign? Chris predicts that existing Saturn-Pisces issues with water pollution and maritime trade/travel will have destructive moments as Mars comes in, while Diana thinks about water as a vector of disease, such as cholera & sewage treatment. Now that deep permafrost is melting due to climate change, we may also see new pathogens or substances released, as well as complications from farm water runoff. We'll definitely see the effects of this Baltimore bridge collapse, and, with the outbreak of dengue fever in Latin America, may see developments around diseases borne of insect bites. We may also hear about the ill effects of microplastics, lead, and asbestos as a result of this conjunction. More generally: pollution, ocean, liquids, extremes of hot and cold, feelings of constraint (and literal constraint), and spiritual or emotional burnout. Pisces is a sign of inescapable enmeshment with each other, so we'll likely deal with compassion fatigue and emotional isolation (especially involving social media). Questions of whether or not something is "real" remain relevant as ever.

On the positive side, Mars-Saturn brings discipline and self-control. Sometimes Mars and Saturn can temper each other to give us self-sustaining focus. We can combine hard-won wisdom with the drive we need to achieve it, like a martial arts training montage. Do we have the belief and conviction to achieve mastery? With determination we can reach heights we once only imagined. There's also stamina, resilience, and rigidity. Overlapping with the Mercury retrograde, we can also see delays and obstructions. If there are boundaries you've been meaning to enact, now is the time. We can see potential pitfalls, but beware of pessimism and not believing in yourself. Resentment and pent-up anger can also come into play as Mars's impulse butts up against Saturn's inaction, but incremental progress adds up.

April 11th - Sun conjunct retrograde Mercury (Cazimi) This marks a turning point in the retrograde. Diana uses a spelunking metaphor: during the retrograde we're diving into the cave, and at the cazimi we've found our treasure...but we still have to make our way back out. Our personal eclipse stories may become clearer during this time as well.

April 19th - Sun enters Taurus, Retrograde Mercury conjunct Venus Venus will help sweeten communications during the last week of Mercury's regression.

April 20th - Jupiter conjunct Uranus This brings freedom, liberation, and sudden rapid growth--completely different from the Mars-Saturn activity earlier this month. This may also set us up for the Jupiter-Mars conjunction later this summer. The Uranus in Taurus story has brought labor organizing and unions to prominence, so expect those stories to intensify during this conjunction. General keywords: technological breakthroughs and scientific discoveries, sudden revelations and growth, revolutions, rupture, and unexpected shifts. This conjunction takes place every 14 years, so Chris expects new discoveries, optimism and "quantum leaps" or new precedents in some fields. In Taurus this is related to food and agriculture--in addition to new technologies we'll likely see further developments with the farmer's protests in India and Europe. Finance and money is another Taurus signification, so disruptions in banks & questions about decentralizing currency may arise. Freedom, rebellion, and general eccentricity become important. We'll feel like anything is possible, but in disregarding the rules and refusing to compromise we may make rash decisions.

The comet Pons-Brooks may also start to become visible during this time. It comes by about every 80 years and is named for its 18th century discoverers. Ancient literature on comets is similar to that of eclipse: an ominous phenomenon heralding the deaths of rulers and falls of kingdoms. However, they note the color and appearance as indicating some positive effects when associated with Jupiter, and the planets whose path it crosses are relevant as well. Pons-Brooks passes closely by the Jupiter-Uranus conjunction, putting an exclamation point on the planetary significations.

April 23rd - Scorpio Full Moon

We're finally out of eclipse season, so things are starting to calm down. However, this lunation (04♏) squares Pluto (02♒), bringing some conflict in. It'll be stabilizing, but not necessarily comforting. Acceptance is bittersweet medicine. The full moon illuminates the deep transformative experiences Pluto brings to the early degrees of fixed signs in our charts. We're really getting to the bedrock of things. When Venus enters Taurus she'll square Pluto, and Mars will trine Pluto when he enters Aries. With those personal planets in domicile, it'll feel like coming home, but home is a little different. Pluto will retrograde soon and Chris predicts this station will bring major events in AI and related technologies. Mars is also quickly nearing his conjunction with Neptune, bringing the weaponization of these technologies.

April 25th - Mercury stations direct

April 28th - Mars conjunct Neptune (typo in image) Aside from weaponization of AI and social media, Mars-Neptune also connotes the manipulation of reality for political purposes. Revealing that a shocking news story was actually false wont necessarily diffuse the feelings it arose. Even if it didn't happen, you may still hold resentment towards the wrong target. Think the "fog of war" or shadowboxing. Other keywords include conflicts in or about water, idealism & ideologically-charged conflicts, confusion, acid, corrosion, lethargy, sapped vitality, and unnecessary martyrdom.

April 29th - Venus enters Taurus She immediately squares Pluto. Venus in domicile brings us to the election for the month:

April 29th - Selected auspicious election (not pictured)

Set the chart for about 12:55PM local time, which gets you Leo rising with the Ascendant ruler Sun in the 10th whole sign house in Taurus, where it's copresent with Jupiter, Uranus, and Venus. This chart is good for 10th house matters like career, reputation, social standing, overall life direction and accomplishing goals. The Moon is in Capricorn, applying to a trine with Jupiter, bringing support. Mercury has stationed direct, bringing us away from some of the delays and issues we experienced earlier. Even the Mars-Saturn conjunction is about as far away as we can get, and a day chart Jupiter conjunct Uranus brings creativity to our efforts. Diana associates the 10th house with the gestating parent and thus recommends doing something nice for your mom now.

April 30th - Mars enters Aries Entering firey and decisive Aries, Mars is no longer encumbered by slow Saturn and diffuse Neptune. This complete chapter change comes with a sextile to Pluto--the tone shift will feel like getting our oxygen back. This opens us up for a lot of quick movements through Aries and Gemini in May.

[market-insider]

Liquid Biopsy: Evolving Trends in Breast Cancer

The global breast cancer liquid biopsy market size is expected to reach USD 1.7 billion by 2030, expandingat a CAGR of 22.7% from 2022 to 2030, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The growth is attributed to the rising preference for non-invasive methods, rising awareness of early diagnosis and treatment, and rising prevalence of breast cancer. For instance, according to WHO, in 2020, globally, 685,000 women lost their lives to breast cancer, and 2.3 million women were affected by it. Liquid biopsies have been suggested as a revolutionary technique for the early identification of breast cancer, which boosts its adoption and spurs growth. With the increasing prevalence of breast cancer, there is a high demand to provide proper diagnostics tools for detecting cancer at an early stage and early treatment.

Breast Cancer Liquid Biopsy Market Report Highlights

In 2021, the circulating tumor cells segment held a dominant revenue share owing to the effectiveness and precision offered by CTCs in the detection of cancer

The early detection segment is projected to grow at the fastest CAGR over the forecast period, owing to the increasing adoption of liquid biopsy in early diagnosis of cancer and the rising need to provide effective treatment

Treatment selection was the highest revenue-generating segment in 2021 owing to the availability of a high number of products that aid treatment selection

Asia Pacific is expected to witness the fastest growth during the forecast period owing to increasing prevalence, improving healthcare infrastructure, and growing population

Gain deeper insights on the market and receive your free copy with TOC now @: Breast Cancer Liquid Biopsy Market Report

There has been increasing R&D in the field of diagnostics to cater to the rising demand. For instance, in June 2022, according to study findings from BioFluidica, patients with HER2-positive breast cancer had success rates while receiving tailored HER2-directed therapy.The clinical significance of liquid biopsy is becoming more well-known as a result of ongoing developments in related fields. Additional interventional clinical trials and the creation of an algorithm to properly combine circulating biomarkers are required to make these technologies widely accessible.

A less intrusive technique for identifying non-hematological malignancies has been developed as a result of technological breakthroughs in continuing research on circulating biomarkers. Compared to traditional tumor biopsy, liquid biopsy is thought to be a promising option for patient monitoring in real time. For instance, in April 2022, Epic Sciences, Inc., launched DefineMBC, a blood test based on liquid biopsy technology for the diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer to its CLIA laboratory portfolio.