Worldwide, breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death in women. 2 million new cancer cases were diagnosed in 2018 (23% of all cancers), ranking second overall (10.9% of all cancers) in all types of cancer. It is now the most common cancer both in developed and developing regions.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM), an annual international campaign organized by major breast cancer charities to increase awareness of the disease and to raise funds for research into its origin, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care.
The National Incubation Center takes this opportunity to create awareness on how, in this technologically driven era, a lot of breast cancer startups are making waves in the global healthcare industry by pioneering novel diagnosis and treatment methods to help fight against breast cancer.
Leading Breast Cancer Startups in the Healthcare Industry, 2020
1) Xylexa
Xylexa is developing an artificial intelligence-powered, cloud-based tool to help in early cancer detection from mammograms. Instead of a radiologist studying the X-ray with the naked eye and then giving his/her diagnostics, which usually takes 20 minutes on average with an accuracy below 70 percent, their algorithm claims to identify malignancy with an accuracy up to 90 percent.
Location: Islamabad, Pakistan
2) Epic Sciences
Epic sciences have two ongoing programs for early detection of advance metastatic breast cancer and early-stage breast cancer. With just a single blood draw, genetic and cellular changes occurring throughout cancer can be evaluated. Their platform can even detect rare circulating tumor cells (CTCs) to help analyze the stage and severity of this type of cancer at a molecular level.
Location: San Diego, California, USA.
3) Paige Diagnostics
This diagnostics company is transforming cancer evaluation by utilizing cutting-edge AI technology that helps provide the much-needed disease insight to pathologists and researchers. Paige offers its services to healthcare providers and startups i.e. breast cancer startups to aid in problems such as drug development strategies, selecting the best diagnostic tools, and even offer automated pathology analysis for clinical trials.
Location: Paige, New York, USA.
4) CureMetrix
A revolutionary breast cancer startup that is pursuing to develop a new standard of mammography image analysis and breast health examination. CureMetrix is breaking barriers by incorporating AI to develop high precision tools for mammography, delivering data-backed answers to radiologists for perfect screening, prognosis, and treatment.
Location: California, USA
5) Endomag
Endomag is providing effective diagnostic capabilities to avoid unnecessary surgery in breast cancer patients. Their exclusive technologies are the Magtrace lymphatic mapping agent that tells physicians the nearest lymph node where cancer is most likely present, a Magseed marker that pin-points the tumor area and a Sentimag probe which detects the magnetic marker and the tracer with precision.
Location: Cambridge, UK & Texas, USA
6) TrialJectory Inc
TrialJectory Inc. aims to connect cancer patients with the right clinical trial. To use the service, patients, family members, or caregivers need to fill out a form made up of easy to understand questions. Using machine learning algorithms, the system automatically scans existing databases to find matches and narrows down and prioritizes available clinical trials to the most relevant ones.
Location: New York, USA
7) Vayyar
Vayyar Imaging Ltd. develops 3D imaging sensors that can see through human tissue, using low-power radio wave technology. Vayyar’s technology can be used to detect early-stage breast cancer and provides doctors with 4D images of breast tissues.
Location: Israel
8) Belong.Life
Belong.Life operates a social media network for cancer patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers. Belong.Life’s mobile app has over 200,000 users. In addition to being a social media network, the company’s app also offers cancer patients online chats with radiologists and oncologists, and access to clinical trials related to their specific type of cancer.
Location: New York, US
9) HealthMammo- Zebra Medical Vision
The HealthMammo solution prioritizes and identifies “suspicious” mammograms for radiologists to focus their attention on instead of using the standard “first-in first-out” method to diagnose a patient, which in turn recognizes problematic readings ahead of time while alerting the radiologist to the issue – allowing for early detection and intervention following a positive breast cancer diagnosis.
Location: Israel
10) OncoStem
OncoStem is developing innovative and affordable tests to personalise cancer treatment. OncoStem’s flagship product, CanAssist Breast, is a machine learning-based prognostic test that helps personalise treatment for early-stage breast cancer patients who are hormone receptor-positive (HR+) and HER2-negative. CanAssist Breast makes customised treatment possible by analysing the patient’s tumor in depth, and providing a patient specific report indicating if the patient has ‘low or high’ risk of cancer recurrence.
Location: India
These, and many other startups across the globe are working on innovative techniques to prevent, diagnose and treat the deadly disease. Researchers, healthcare professionals and entrepreneurs need to continuously strive for breakthrough treatments for prevention, early detection and treatment of breast cancer, to eliminate the risk of increasing instances as the world population is increasing.
