text_1: UTA researcher patents “roach motel” for cancer
text_2: This news release announces the European patent for a medical device that is designed to attract, trap and kill cancer cells. Ostensibly, the device could be used to detect early signs of metastasis in various forms of cancer, and potentially could find use in cancer treatment. However, the device’s utility at this point appears to be largely hypothetical. The release indicates that no clinical trials have been done; offers no information on benefits (or health risks) associated with such a device; and says nothing about the potential costs associated with such a device. Indeed, the release does not tell readers anything about the research that underlies the device. Based on the information in the release, the device appears to be — at this point — little more than a concept. As the National Cancer Institute notes, “Cancer has a major impact on society in the United States and across the world.” Indeed, cancers claim the lives of hundreds of thousands of people each year in the United States alone. With that in mind, it is important to be cautious when announcing a new tool that “can be used for early diagnosis and treatment of metastasized cancer.” To be more specific, one should at the very least be prepared to provide meaningful information to support the claim. Securing a patent may be valuable — both financially and for the public good — but that value can only be realized if the relevant technology can be used in a clinical setting. This release offers more questions than answers, with the foremost question being: will the device work in people?