Tools for Social Networking Analysis can Help Detect Different Types of Cancer

The tools of Social Network Analysis (SNA) unravel the connections and identify the bio-markers present in patient genomic micro-array data.

The tools that are used to study the data of social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter can also be used to identify the biomarkers in our bodies for diseases, including different types of cancer.

For the study, the researchers from Turkey viewed genes as actors or members of the social network and similarities between different genes were considered to be the connections between these actors. The team has demonstrated that their approach is effective in identifying biomarkers of three types of cancer: lymphoma, colon cancer and leukemia.

Breast Cancer Screenings Skyrocket, but Do Patients Benefit?
A new study has found that though the breast cancer screening costs shot up between 2001-2009, the increase did not cause earlier detection of new breast cancer cases

"We showed how our approach is capable of effectively detecting cancer biomarkers out of high-dimensional genomic data," wrote Taylan Iyidogan and colleagues from TOBB University, in Ankara, Turkey.

Genomic databases can be vast, given that the human genome comprises some 20,000 genes, and so such an approach can, they suggest, dramatically decrease the number of features that must be analyzed to find useful biomarkers.

Once identified and understood, such biomarkers can then be tested for in screening programs for people at risk of a given disease or for diagnosis should they present with particular symptoms. "We combined clustering and classification into the developed framework to help in detecting the links between the various genes within the model and to validate the outcome, respectively," the researchers said.

3D Digital Breast Imaging Could Revolutionize Cancer Screening
In community-based radiology practice, mammography screening with 3D digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) yielded an increased overall cancer detection rate, lower recall rates and an increased detection rate for invasive cancer compared with 2D digital mammography (DM).

The research was published in International Journal of Data Mining.

Source-IANS

People Usually Quit Smoking When Celebs Promote Cancer Screening
A new study suggests that while the start of a new year looks like a promising way to start off on a clean slate by quitting bad habits, it may not be as much of a powerful motivator as the motivation of a celebrity.

Older Adults' Views on Cancer Screening Obtained in Regenstrief and IU Study
Many older adults are hesitant to halt cancer screenings even when the screenings may no longer be beneficial, a study has found.