An 18-year-old from Mexico has designed a new bra that he says will serve as an early warning system for symptoms of breast cancer, inspired by his mother who almost died when he was 13 because her breast cancer wasn’t detected early enough.

According to the BBC, Julian Rios Cantu and three of his friends – who have formed Higia Technologies – won the top prize at the recent Global Student Entrepreneur Awards for the Eva bra. The trio won £15,500 as part of the competition to develop the idea further.

Speaking to the news source, Cancer Research UK’s Anna Perman said: “It’s great to see young people like Julian getting into science and having ideas that could help with cancer diagnosis. But an important part of science is rigorous testing, to make sure innovations like this actually benefit patients.”

Apparently, biosensors in the bra measure temperature changes in the skin as a result of cancerous tumours, with the results logged in an app and alerts sent out if any disturbing changes are detected. Women would need to wear the bra for between 60 and 90 minutes a week in order for accurate measurements to be achieved.

If breast cancer does run in your family, it could be worth investing in one of the Eva bras if and when they come to market. Until then, you can do your bit to protect your health and lower your risk of developing the disease by limiting your intake of alcohol, quitting smoking, controlling your weight and being more physically active, and avoiding exposure to environmental pollution and radiation.

Check out the Brave Ladies website for mastectomy swimwear and more.