Selfie App Could Help Detect Pancreatic Cancer
A new app called ‘BiliScreen’ uses selfies to detect early warning signs of pancreatic cancer.
According to Cancer Research UK, pancreatic cancer has one of the worst prognosis of all cancers. There are over 9,500 new cases in the UK every year and 8,800 deaths; less than 1% of patients survive more than ten years after diagnosis.
Now, a team from the University of Washington has developed an app called ‘BiliScreen’ which has “shown promise” in helping scientists correctly spot cases of concern, 89.7% of the time. ‘BiliScreen’ uses your smartphone camera, and machine learning, to uncover changes in the colour of a person’s sclera (white of the eye). The technology is an advancement on a version that already exists, which screens new-born babies for jaundice.
Alex Mariakakis, lead author of the study, said: “The problem with pancreatic cancer is that by the time you’re symptomatic, it’s frequently too late.” This is due to the lack of obvious and tell-tale symptoms, leaving doctors to only carry out blood tests on people who are a cause for concern.
However, the team from the University of Washington are depending on one of the earliest symptoms; jaundice or a slight yellow discolouration of the skin. This is caused by a build-up of bilirubin in the blood and is often invisible to the naked eye.
“The eyes are a really interesting gateway into the body”, explains senior author Shwetak Patel. “Tears can tell you how much glucose you have, sclera can tell you how much bilirubin is in your blood.”
Checking the eye for discolouration is also more reliable than checking the skin. Changes in the sclera are more consistent across all races and ethnicities, as opposed to skin tone which can alter the appearance of yellowness.
Mariakakis hopes that: “In the privacy of their own homes, some might catch the disease early enough to undergo treatment that could save their lives”, with the team aiming for the app to be used in conjunction with a 3D printed box that controls the eye’s exposure to light.
The aim is for the app to be used by patients at home around once a month.