Beauty Trick And Breast Cancer Testing: Australian Scientist Makes Chance Discovery From Beauty Routine

For several years now, mammography has been the traditional way of breast cancer testing. But just recently, an Australian scientist made a chance discovery that led to an easy and very promising method of screening for breast cancer. And what's surprising is the fact that such discovery was brought about by a simple beauty trick.

According to SBS, Dr. Dharmica Mistry made the discovery from spraying olive oil in her hair, which is her monthly beauty routine. She realized that oils from breast cancer patients' blood were being deposited in their hair; therefore, the illness could be screened through a blood test.

Dr. Mistry said the test would be just as simple as undergoing a blood test at the GP. Apart from improving the role of mammograms and other existing methods, it would also improve the way women access breast cancer testing. As of writing, the preliminary results show 90 percent accuracy of detecting early stage breast cancer.

Moreover, Dr. Mistry stressed that numerous people don't go to doctors for mammography because it is painful. Likewise, it doesn't always work on young ones. Women in rural areas find it hard to undergo mammography as well. For these reasons, she hopes that a simple blood test discovered from a simple beauty trick would change the situation. At present, one out of eight Australians is suffering from the illness.

Clinical trials for the new breast cancer testing method are expected next year with the aim of having a test on the market in 2019. Starting with a chance discovery from a beauty trick, Dr. Mistry dreams to have the method available for every woman around the world.

The young scientist started working as a lab technician in a company that was looking for links between breast cancer and scalp hair. According to Australian Women's Weekly, her research made her earn the titles 2015 Young Scientist of the Year and 2016 NSW Young Woman of the Year.