Question: Do you think that doing what you do is more helpful than computer science?

Sarah Thomas answered on 24 Jun 2011:

No, I think they are very different. There are a lot of applications to compuer science and ways it can be used to help people.

What I do it much more specific and targetted. I want to get people that have cancer diagnosed quicker because there is a big problem diagnosing it. The symptoms can be so varied and there is no definate test for cancer. If you have a tumour, you can get a biopsy to see if it is cancer or not, but the cancer has to be pretty advanced by that stage, for the person to realise they have a tumour. If we can detect it earlier, the treatment is so much more effective and the patient has a better chance of survival.

I lost my gran after she was diagnosed with cancer. The doctors said she had tumour growing inside her for between 7 and 10 years, before they caught it. By then it was far too late to save her.

Computer Science is really cool and interesting, and it has so much potential to change people’s lives. But all I care about it keeping families together and putting good use to all the money that people raise for cancer research.