It’s another day in the office here at LSS. And in between watching the trains coming and going from East Croydon Station, we thought we’d showcase a nice little article from the Daily Mail about a new test for the prostate cancer.[1] A new testing technology will massively improve screening for this disease, saving thousands of lives. And anyway, haven’t we always been big champions of preventive medicine here, or what?
And then we looked again and found the hidden message. Get these extracts
British medics have been working to evaluate the test, developed by Indian firm Datar Cancer Genetics.
Researchers in India collaborated with Imperial College and Guy’s Hospital in London on the study, which is published in the journal Cancer Medicine.
India? Collaborated? Were these words really used in the Daily Mail? Have they just confessed that working with other people across borders might actually produce some useful results? That Foreigners might know something we plucky British do not?
Unfortunately, it seems the answer is “yes.” Our second exhibit is this little piece from Nature [2] which looks at Covid-19 research back in 2020. The authors conclude, overwhelmingly:
Collaborations are essential — we need diverse teams to tackle global problems such as pandemics, and to help navigate social and geopolitical challenges. COVID-19 has provided a timely reminder that it can be done — and of the enormous rewards it can bring.
And what’s true for biomedical research is true for work in IT, astronomy. food sciences and every other discipline that works to ameliorate the lot of humankind. Thanks, Mail, you’ve proven the case. We’re better together.
[1]https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-11793975/New-highly-accurate-blood-test-gives-hope-doctors-soon-able-screen-prostate-cancer.html
[2]https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-01581-z
#prostate cancer #testing #preventive medicine
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