A next-generation cancer testing machine in an Irish hospital will cut the wait time for results by eight weeks.
The Ion Torrent Genexus sequencer at Cork University Hospital (CUH) identifies the DNA profiles of cancers which are then used to create the best type of treatment to fight the disease.
The โฌ 550,000 machine, which generates cancer profiles in 24 hours, is the first of its kind in Ireland and was funded in part by two friends who survived breast cancer.
Miriam Healy and Sylvia McHenry organized Cork Pink Week in 2019 after meeting with CUH Charity and consultants to determine what the hospital needed that could benefit patients.
Fifty thousand euros were raised at the event, with the remaining funds raised after an 18-month Pull Together campaign.
According to Miriam, the duo wanted to raise awareness that breast cancer affects all ages and affects people under the age of fifty.
She said, "The Ion Torrent Sequencer is a tangible benefit to people in the region. It also enables people who have recovered to be tested to investigate the likelihood of their cancer recurring."
Next-generation technology uses sequencing to speed up cancer testing, allowing patients to start treatments and clinical trials earlier.
Profiling of this type had to be done in the UK during the Covid-19 pandemic, and retrieval of the results often took eight weeks.
