Femtech World is delighted to reveal the shortlist for this year’s Women’s Cancer Innovation award.

The award, sponsored by Endomag, will honour a groundbreaking innovation dedicated to the prevention, early detection treatment or ongoing care of cancers that uniquely or disproportionately affect women.

Endomag is a medical technology company devoted to improving the global standard of cancer care.

Its Sentimag system, Magseed marker and Magtrace lymphatic tracer are used by thousands of the world’s leading physicians and cancer centres.

After careful review of this year’s submissions, we are delighted to announce the three shortlisted entries for the Women’s Cancer Innovation Award 2026.

Auria is tackling one of the most stubborn problems in breast cancer screening: the 66 per cent of women who simply don’t participate.

Rather than improving existing imaging pathways, Auria is creating an entirely new access layer: a non-invasive, at-home test that detects protein biomarkers for breast cancer in tears.

Auria’s test, a CLIA-certified Lab Developed Test, has been validated across more than 2,000 patients in multiple clinical studies with collaborators including MD Anderson Cancer Center and Stanford University.

It reports a sensitivity of 93 per cent and a negative predictive value of 98 per cent.

Founded on six years of combined research at the University of Barcelona and UC Irvine, The Blue Box has developed a non-invasive, urine-based test that detects breast cancer by analysing volatile organic compound (VOC) signatures – no radiation, no compression, no imaging facility required.

The test achieves a sensitivity of 88.42 per cent, outperforming mammography by 15 per cent overall, and by 30 per cent specifically in women with dense breasts. 

The technology could function as a first-line screening tool in primary care settings, as a complement to mammography for high-density patients, or as an accessible alternative in healthcare systems where imaging infrastructure is limited.

Celbrea is a disposable and affordable thermal screening device that empowers women of all ages to stay on top of monitoring their breast health.

The device aims to add to doctors’ existing standard evaluation protocols with a quick, painless examination. Celbrea does not replace a mammogram but simply provides an additional way to screen for breast disease, including breast cancer.

The device consisting of two disposable pads with photochromic sensors. The pads are self-applied to each breast for 15 minutes.

1188 nano-sensors are embedded within a biocompatible multilayer pad, accurately measuring any temperature differences on the surface of the breast using liquid crystal thermographic technology.

What happens next

The shortlisted entries will now be judge by an Endomag representative who will reveal the winner at a virtual awards event on June 19.

Winners will receive a trophy and will be interviewed by a Femtech World journalist.

Ki-67, a protein used to measure tumour growth, may also help prevent chromosome errors that drive cancer, a study suggests.

The findings could change how scientists view Ki-67, a marker commonly used in breast cancer and other tumours to assess how quickly cancer cells are growing.

Researchers found the protein may help preserve genome stability by maintaining the structural integrity of centromeres, key parts of chromosomes that help ensure DNA is shared correctly during cell division.

The research was led by professor Paola Vagnarelli at Brunel University of London in collaboration with scientists at the University of Edinburgh and the Technical University of Berlin.

Professor Vagnarelli said: “Doctors already measure Ki-67 to see how aggressive a cancer might be. But our results suggest it is actually helping maintain genome stability.

“That means it may be more than a marker. It could potentially also be a therapeutic target.”

The study examined three proteins that attach to chromosomes during cell division and help rebuild the molecular system that tells each new cell what kind of cell it is.

Every human cell carries identical DNA. What makes a liver cell different from a brain cell is which genes are switched on and which are kept inactive.

When a cell divides, that entire system of switches must be rebuilt. The three proteins involved in this process were Ki-67, Repo-Man and PNUTS.

Vagnarelli’s team developed a method that individually removes each protein from a living cell at the precise point of division. Older techniques could not isolate that moment cleanly.

They found that cells rely on all three proteins to reset themselves after division, but each failed in a different way when removed.

Without PNUTS, gene activity spiralled out of control and thousands of genes switched on at once.

Without Repo-Man, cells escaped safety checkpoints that usually stop damaged or abnormal cells from continuing to divide.

“What we didn’t expect was how clean the separation was,” said Vagnarelli.

Each protein fails in its own specific way. There is no redundancy, no safety net. Which means there are three separate points at which this process can go wrong.

“When the system breaks down, cells can emerge with the wrong number of chromosomes. That condition, called aneuploidy, is seen in disorders such as Down syndrome and in many cancers.

“We also found that these chromosome errors can trigger inflammatory signals inside the cell.”

Aneuploidy means a cell has too many or too few chromosomes, which can disrupt normal growth and function.

Inflammatory signals are chemical messages that can make a cell behave as if it is responding to injury or infection.

“These cells behave almost as if they are under attack,” said Vagnarelli.

“The immune response switches on because the genome is unstable.

“That link between chromosome imbalance and inflammation could help explain patterns we see in several diseases.”

The researchers said the findings may help cancer scientists better understand how chromosome instability, loss of gene regulation and cells dividing before they are ready contribute to tumour growth.

They said understanding the normal machinery that prevents these errors may help researchers find ways to push cancer cells into making mistakes they cannot survive.

“We now have a clearer map of the machinery that resets the cell after division,” said Vagnarelli.

“That knowledge gives us a starting point for thinking about new therapeutic approaches.”

Abdominal obesity may lead to worse menopause symptoms, including forgetfulness, irritability and night sweats, a new study suggests.

The findings point to a possible link between fat stored around the waist and more severe midlife symptoms.

Researchers said waist-to-height ratio could help identify women who may benefit from more targeted support.

Dr Monica Christmas is associate medical director for The Menopause Society.

Christmas said: “Unintended weight gain during the menopause transition, especially in the midsection, is one of the most commonly reported complaints, with the most significant gains experienced in the years leading up to the final menstrual period and a couple of years after.

“This not only affects self-image but also imposes negative health risks and, as the study highlights, is associated with higher prevalence and severity of menopause symptoms.”

The study used data from more than 1,100 women who took part in the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation.

Abdominal obesity is a build-up of fat around the waist. It often includes visceral fat, which is deep, active fat surrounding internal organs.

This type of fat releases inflammatory proteins and toxic fatty acids that can contribute to insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and a higher risk of some cancers.

Insulin resistance means the body does not respond properly to insulin, the hormone that helps control blood sugar.

The Menopause Society said abdominal obesity is estimated to affect more than 60 per cent of menopausal women.

As oestrogen levels fall during menopause, women tend to store more fat around the waist rather than the hips, even if their overall weight does not change.

The researchers noted that obesity patterns and menopause symptom burden can vary by region, but research into the effect of abdominal obesity on these symptoms remains limited.

They also said earlier studies have mainly looked at single symptoms, rather than how symptoms connect with each other.

In this study, researchers used network analysis, a method that looks at how symptoms are linked, to compare symptom patterns in women with and without abdominal obesity.

They identified abdominal obesity using waist-to-height ratios, which compare waist size with height and can be used as a simple measure of health risk linked to body fat around the middle.

The researchers concluded that women with abdominal obesity had both a higher prevalence and greater severity of a range of symptoms, as well as a distinct symptom network structure.

In particular, women with abdominal obesity reported a higher prevalence and greater severity of dizziness, hot flashes and night sweats than women without abdominal obesity.

Sleep disturbances and palpitations were also reported more often in women with abdominal obesity. Palpitations are feelings of a fast, fluttering or pounding heartbeat.

The researchers said assessment of abdominal obesity using waist-to-height ratios may help stratify women who are likely to benefit from targeted, network-based interventions rather than isolated symptom management.

Christmas said: “Educating women early about healthy lifestyle interventions to prevent midlife weight gain is key to improving mental and physical well-being during a tumultuous time frame.”