Breast cancer affects approximately one in eight women, and early detection through screening significantly increases the chances of successful treatment. While mammograms and MRIs are effective, many women face barriers such as fear of discomfort, high costs, and time constraints. These challenges can lead to delays or avoidance of essential screening, especially in underserved and rural communities. Now, a new portable, easy-to-use diagnostic device offers a noninvasive solution that can detect breast cancer from a saliva sample, minimizing false negatives and even distinguishing between various stages of the disease.

Researchers at the University of Florida (Gainesville, FL, USA) and National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (Hsinchu, Taiwan), along with collaborators, have developed a handheld biosensor aimed at improving breast cancer detection and monitoring. The device consists of a reusable mini printed circuit board paired with commercially available glucose test strips and a multi-channel test strip that can analyze several biomarkers at once, reducing costs. The test is simple: after saliva is collected in a small cup, the strip is dipped into the sample for three seconds, inserted into the sensor, and the results appear on a display and are sent to a phone or tablet via Bluetooth. This streamlined design improves accessibility and affordability, enabling near-real-time breast cancer screening even in low-resource settings.

During testing with 29 saliva samples, the device correctly identified breast cancer in all patients who had it (100% sensitivity) and identified healthy individuals 86% of the time, minimizing false negatives. The findings, published in Biosensors, show that it could also differentiate between healthy individuals, those with carcinoma in situ, and those with invasive breast cancer. The team envisions the biosensor becoming a triage tool to guide decisions about further screening through mammograms or MRIs. Future plans include testing additional saliva biomarkers to fine-tune the device’s accuracy and expanding its potential to detect other diseases.

“It’s very exciting because this device could improve access to breast cancer screening and significantly reduce health care costs,” said Coy Heldermon, M.D., Ph.D., breast oncologist at UF Health and co-author of the study. “If all holds true, it would be a game-changer.”

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