A couple of years ago a young teenager by the name of Jack Andraka, a self-described science geek, invented a new way to detect pancreatic, ovarian and lung cancer in five minutes and for as little as three cents. It was hailed as a monumental breakthrough in science at the time.

After a close friend died from pancreatic cancer, this 18-year-old from Crownsville, Maryland, unleashed his hyperdrive intellect on preventing more cancer deaths. “It’s 168 times faster, over 26,000 times less expensive, and over 400 times more sensitive than our current methods of diagnosis,” he said.

Tinkering in his room and using information readily available online, he came up with a new way to detect cancer. “I created a new way to detect pancreatic, ovarian and lung cancer that costs three cents and takes five minutes to run,” he said during the announcement.

“85 percent of all pancreatic cancers are diagnosed late –when someone has less than a two percent chance of survival. And our current test costs $800 per test and misses 30 percent of all pancreatic cancers,” he said in the video below.

Jack won last year’s Intel International Science and Engineering Fair where was awarded $100,000 in scholarships. But Jack Andraka’s had only one goal: Bringing his invention to the people.

But nearly three years after his ground-breaking discovery, the device is being held on a patent-limbo. The excuse of the big medical corporations is that “a product like this needs to go through extensive testing.”

While thorough testing is completely understandable, the 5–10 years timeframe that it has been given for an invention of this magnitude and importance makes you wonder about the motives behind taking so long to bring it to market.

During a recent interview with Huffington Post, Andraka was asked what the current status of his new way to detect cancer was.

”Right now it’s in pre-clinical trials, we tested it on a lot of different patients and we’re in talks with a bunch of different biotech companies, so just trying to get through the process. It’ll probably be on the market in the next five to ten years, hopefully,” he answered.

Cancer is a multi-billion dollar industry and as everyone knows when there are large sums of money involved there is always some kind high-level corruption. One thing I have learned in my years working as a reporter is that if you want to find the truth you simply have to follow the money.

So is it possible that Jack Andraka’s invention is being stalled because big business is worried about the huge game-changing effects it will have on the industry that surrounds Cancer.

A journal recently published highly revealing excerpts of important cancer cures news articles from several media outlets suggesting a cover-up.

I truly hope this device becomes available soon. Jack Andraka is a brilliant and passionate young man who has achieved something that has the potential to save the lives of millions of people.

Please share your thoughts in the comments section below!