Samueli School of Engineering

Background:  Cancer as a disease has defined our current era. In the United States alone, two out of every five people will develop cancer at some point in their lives. Chemotherapy, although powerful, does not always reduce tumor size. For these patients, called non-responders, it can take up to 18 weeks to change their course of action because chemotherapy is currently monitored through palpation, or feeling for tissue stiffness. The result is wasted money on the initial drugs, precious time lost, and a plethora of side effects.

Our device, Oncospect, is a tool for oncologist to quantitatively track the progress of chemotherapy on a metabolic level. Benefits include lower costs, less side-effects, and better patient outlook. Our aim is to empower oncologists to make personalized treatment plans for patients.

Faculty Adviser: Prof. Bruce Tromberg, Surgery - Beckman Laser Institute             bjtrombe@uci.edu