A Promising Test for Pancreatic Cancer…From a Teenager
About the Talk
Hope. When we first saw Jack Andraka on 60 Minutes in October of 2013, he represented hope for us and the thousands of individuals and their families who have been touched by pancreatic cancer. Over 85 percent of all pancreatic cancers are diagnosed late, when someone has less than two percent chance of survival. How could this be? Jack talks about how he developed a promising early detection test for pancreatic cancer that’s super cheap, effective and non-invasive — all before his 16th birthday. – Laura Kubinski & Rachel Herman
About the Speaker
Jack Andraka is a Maryland high school sophomore who at age 15 invented an inexpensive and sensitive dipstick-like sensor for the rapid and early detection of pancreatic, ovarian and lung cancers. After a close family friend died of pancreatic cancer, Jack (then a ninth grader) became interested in finding a better early-detection diagnostic test. He learned that the lack of a rapid, low-cost early screening method contributed to the poor survival rate among individuals with pancreatic cancer. After thinking further about the problem, he came up with a plan and a budget to put his ideas in motion