Technology Advances

Technology Advances

Gerardo Heredia, Web Editor

119 years ago, The American Cancer Society states that “A German physics professor, Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen, presented a remarkable lecture entitled concerning a New Kind of Ray. Roentgen called it the “X-ray”, with “x” being the algebraic symbol for an unknown quantity. There was immediate worldwide excitement. Within months, systems were being devised to use x-rays for diagnosis, and within 3 years, radiation was used to treat cancer.” Throughout the years, technology has evolved from 1896 to now. We don’t realize how much technology has changed by saving patients lives and helping society.

Technology has impacted drastically or greatly impacted the medical field that helped solve illness and medical issues. Technology is used in hospitals where doctors use specific machines that help patients who are ill and have medical issues.

Before, there were no machines that were even close to this. They’re more machines that can cure people and their medical issues. The biggest disease in the United States today is cancer. The Cancer Treatment Center of America has machines that help provide aid to patients with cancer. For an example, “We use sophisticated diagnostic imaging technology and tools to detect and pinpoint cancer, as well as determine the stage of the disease. This helps us formulate treatment recommendations best suited to your individual needs,” said The Cancer Treatment Center of America. Technology has impacted medical industries the most because most doctors always try to find new ways everyday and help impact many lives.

Besides diagnostic imaging technology, doctors are working on patients for an invention called the Cancer’s Genetic Fingerprint. This invention is used to help doctors collect cells and determine what they need in order to cure it. The Guardian article states that “Researchers believe the test will give doctors a way to tailor cancer treatments to individual patients by monitoring how well their tumour has responded to surgery or therapy and picking up the early signs of a recurrence.” Doctors believe that this new invention will be the face of Medical Technology because this test will be able to find a cure for patients with cancer.

There was a case with a patient where a patient who has recently been diagnosed with cancer will have high levels of a tumour genetic fingerprint in their blood because cancers shed cells and DNA into the bloodstream. When a cancer is operated on or treated with radio – or chemotherapy, the levels of the fingerprint should fall and vanish altogether if the tumour has been eradicated. This recent piece of technology should change a lot of lives and the face of medical technology. Patients are still being tested, and many more are hoping that it will work and help them with their medical condition.

Financial issues were soon solved by technology as well.

A Health article states, “At the end of 2012, 2.8 million patients worldwide were using a home monitoring system, according to a Research and Markets report. Monitoring patients’ health at home can reduce costs and unnecessary visits to a physician’s office.”