Thursday, May 21, 2009

UPM's (Breast) Cancer Detector

Universiti Putra Malaysia scientists have developed a new device that can detect cancer cells within five minutes.
And for women, this means they need not go through a mammogram.

UPM's Dr M. Iqbal Saripan and his team had been working on the "Wire Mesh Collimator" since 2002.

The evice, when installed in nuclear imaging machines, is more sensitive to any changes in terms of activity in human cells.

It can detect breast cancer cells as small as 1mm.

Only four public hospitals in the country -- Kuala Lumpur Hospital, University of Malaya Medical Centre, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre and Sarawak Hospital -- have nuclear imaging machines, costing about RM5.7 million each, to detect cancer cells.

Read the report in the NST by Annie Freeda Cruez HERE.

I'm due for a mammogram. The reason for this "am due" is that I've been finding excuses to delay this procedure.
My last mammogram was in 2006 and it was done under a lot of pressure from my older sisters, Mariah (Kak Ton AKA Tok Mommy) and Noraida (Kak Eda who died the following year after losing her battle with breast cancer).
Thankfully, the results (of my mammogram) were good and I was in the clear. What I thought was going to be a painful procedure turned out to be a breeze.
No pain, no flattening of the breast like roti canai (as described by some of my female friends).
It was a relief.

So, why am I delaying?
Perhaps I'm quite scared of the outcome. Of the unknown.
Perhaps I'm showing typical pre-medical procedure symptoms.

Didn't someone say that "fear has the largest eyes of all"?
I know it is easy to be brave from a safe distance so I'll try to be brave up close.

My older sister, Norlin had a scare two weeks ago after an ultra-sound procedure and a mammogram in which an irregularity was detected. It turned out to be a false alarm and she is in the clear.

My younger sister, Azah, had her mammogram done last week and she too is in the clear.

Kak Ton will be going with me for our check-up.

I told myself, as I have been doing the past two months ago, that I'd confirm our appointment "this week".

"This week, Kak Ton , this week.."

Or should I wait for this Mesh watchamacallit to be installed in the hospital near us......

Kak Eda's voice is echoing in my head ---- "Ena, don't wait, Ena don't wait........"

Aaah...God bless her!

8 comments:

Hasliza said...

yes kak ena, u should not hesitate! go n get it over with! bukan sakit pun! good luck!

joenathan said...

Dear Nuraina,

I read about this 'wire mesh collimator'with interest too.But the 'error percentage'of such a devise was not mentioned.Most electronic/electrical devises esp used in the medical field will have an 'error'index,esp collimators,as it basically transmits a beam of parallel particles.

Anyway,this is a commendable achievement by UPM.

BTW,your reply to cat "tell her that i was nice to her because she must have been a nice person,and was nice to me" caught my attention,this is a lovely thing to say.But I wonder why didn't you ask who is his mama?

Good luck with your mammogram appointment.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

hasliza,

i know....and i will go n get over it. thank you.

i hope you're well...i popped over your blog.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

joenathan,

thank you for raising your point.

on my response to Cat -- I am hoping that she will tell me who her mama is...

meanwhile, i am trying to figure it out myself...

Cat-from-Sydney said...

Meow! Who's talking about my Mama? She's not too well these past few days - cough, mucus...yuk! And she has to sit for some exam papers next week. Said that though she's old in age, she likes to think that she has young brain and like to challenge it. Can this new machine support her theory? Roarrrr...

Anonymous said...

aina dear, yes, dun wait = GODBLESS !!

Ayah said...

NURAINI.. You go now.. when this wire mesh thingy is operational, you go again! No excuse...

joenathan said...

Dear Nuraina,

Thnx for the reply.

Hope you have figured it out.I say this because,I lost contact with a wonderful friend of mine from Palestine,we were college mates once,and all attempts to trace him did not bear fruit.So here is a person who remembers in the form of Cat,you are so lucky lah,Nuraina.Hope you guys meet up soon.Good luck and kind regards.