Imagine losing someone to cancer not due to the lack of cure, but due to the delay in detection. Oral cancer is a significant public health problem in India. Every year over 77,000 new cases of oral cancer are detected, and 56,000 deaths are reported. More than 70% are detected at an advanced stage leaving no room for treatment and cure with very low survival rates.

Traditional cancer diagnosis involves a combination of lab test, biopsy, imaging tests and physical exams. Dr Narayana Subramaniam, a head and neck surgical oncologist and Hardik Pandya an engineer-scientist from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc)- have developed a device that could probably redefine cancer diagnosis with two-minute point of care telecyctology platform. Backed by the USA National Institute of Health, with a grant of $2.4 billion, the portable device uses a Low-Cost Imaging Module enable by AI to diagnose oral cancer at the community setting and establishes an immediate referral care pathway.

Until now Biopsy was the most reliable way to diagnose cancer. A biopsy involves removing a tissue sample from the suspected tumour area and examining it under the microscope. Whereas this innovation leverages advanced molecular diagnostics to scan cells taken from a body, the images are processed through advanced AI-based algorithms to detect normal and abnormal cells with high accuracy. These digitized images can be further shared via the internet from remote areas to metropolitan geography concluding the entire process in a couple of minutes.

While traditional cancer scanners cost over 1 crore, this portable scanner comes at one-tenth times that price making it affordable for many clinics and hospitals in remote locations. These will democratize access to diagnostic care at the community level which was earlier deprived of it. Thus, bridging the gap between accessibility, affordability and early screening.

The next phase of the development is rigorous clinical trial, regulatory approval and mass production. The innovators plan to integrate this with a public healthcare system to make it widely available. According to the World Health Organization low-middle income countries often struggle with late-stage cancer diagnoses due to lack of access to early screening technologies.

“India has the highest burden of oral cancer globally. By diagnosing cancer earlier and streamlining patient care, this platform can improve survival rates and lower treatment costs,” said Dr Subramaniam.

The pan-cancer diagnostic platform prototype built in partnership with GE Healthcare is focused on detecting oral cancer, the device holds the potential to expand its scope to other types of cancers like breast and cervical cancers. As India continues its stride towards becoming a hub for innovation in health care, this innovation is a giant leap towards the goal of inclusivity in technology and medical care.