Healthcare (Commonwealth Union) – As modern technology becomes more sophisticated the need to benefit medical conditions becomes even more critical.
Women who intellectual disabilities may soon have the ability to take advantage of improved breast-cancer monitoring, as a result of smart-textile bra being produced by scientists from the University of Glasgow and Nottingham Trent University (NTU).
Scientists and designers are working on an electronic fabric insert that can be placed inside a bra to track tumour development in real time and alert healthcare professionals to any signs of concern.
Even though breast-cancer rates are lower among women with intellectual disabilities, they experience much higher death rates because they often face obstacles in accessing existing screening services.
The project is being led by the Scottish Learning Disabilities Observatory at the University of Glasgow and NTU’s Medical Technologies Innovation Facility (MTIF).
The system uses a specialised electrical current to scan for small changes in breast tissue. Since tumours are typically denser and contain less water than healthy tissue, the device can distinguish between them. It may be capable of spotting growths as small as 5mm, allowing for earlier detection and prompting follow-up imaging such as MRI scans.
The device will collect data and transmit feedback to the wearer, caregivers, and clinicians via a smartphone, enabling informed assessments.
It is being co-designed with contributions from women with intellectual disabilities, their carers, and healthcare professionals to ensure it is both practical and effective. The research team suggests the technology could eventually be integrated into an entirely new bra design, as well as offered as a removable insert.
According to Cancer Research UK, approximately 56,900 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed in the UK each year, with around 11,200 deaths attributed to the disease.
The project is led by Professor Deborah Cairns, Director of the Scottish Learning Disabilities Observatory (SLDO) at the University of Glasgow, alongside Professor Yang Wei from the Nottingham School of Art & Design (NSA&D). The team also includes co-investigators Professor Katherine Townsend (NSA&D) and Professor John Hunt (MTIF), as well as researchers Shadrack Aboagye (NSA&D) and Dr Lauren Fulton (SLDO).
Deborah Cairns, Professor of Health and Neurodevelopmental Conditions and Director of the SLDO at the School of Health and Wellbeing, for the University indicated that when contrasted to the general population, women who have intellectual disabilities have a lower chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer but a higher chance of facing mortality from breast cancer. She further indicated that a main reason for them to die earlier from breast cancer is the poor uptake of cancer screening.
Professor Cairns indicated that a contributing factor to the lesser uptake is the design/nature of the mammography machine, which has the ability to make it difficult, and in certain cases, it is not possible for women with intellectual disabilities to get screening because of their cognitive, sensory and/or physical requirements.
“This technology has the potential to improve the uptake of breast cancer screening and diagnosis of breast cancer in women with intellectual disabilities, ultimately saving lives by using a kinder and less invasive device to detect breast tumours early.”
Professor Wei pointed out that breast cancer is capable of developing over time, and while certain types grow more rapidly, others may progress at a slower pace, which makes early detection essential for improving survival outcomes.
He further indicated that the technology has the possibility to save women’s lives by marking tumours early, while being utlized as an additional measure together with all other normal checks and scans.
Researchers of the study indicated that as MRI scans are often spaced months apart, patients could feel more reassured knowing that any changes occurring between appointments would still be detected.
