iPhone App Continues Ruddy's Breast Cancer Fight

Dr. Kathleen Ruddy is getting closer in her search to determine if a virus in humans is a cause of breast cancer.

The Madison resident is also helping women to ensure that they are healthy through some technology many Americans, and residents of other countries, can use.

There have been a few important developments for Ruddy and her foundation since the last time we brought you her story.

Breast Health GPS, a free application for Apple's iPhone, was the brain child of Ruddy and allows users to located the nearest mammogram screening centers. By using GPS information obtained from the government, all a user needs to do is open the application. 

Once opened, a map displays with the local screening centers, and when the user selects one of those centers the address and phone number will pop up.

"All you have to do is touch the screen," Ruddy said.

The inspiration for the application came when Ruddy was looking at all of the applications that were available when she was in an Apple Store. She immediately thought what a great idea it would be if her foundation, Breast Health & Healing, could create one.

"What could I do to help women in regards of breast cancer," Ruddy said. "It just immediately came to me: a mammogram screening center finder."

Ruddy called Full Tank Media, which runs the foundation's Web site, to investigate. The company contacted the government to get information on the screening centers. It also enlisted A-1 Technology, a software outsourcing company in New York City, to develop the application.

It took several months, but the application was developed and submitted to Apple. After that, it only took a few days for the company to approve it, and it has been available in the iTunes store ever since.

"The best way to reduce the number of deaths from breast cancer is to have annual mammograms beginning over the age of 40," Ruddy said. "So we know mammograms saves lives. So this application is a tool, one can infer, that can also do that."

The application is currently being converted to the iPad and it should be available in about two weeks.

Another development for Ruddy and her foundation is a video that can be found through a link on the foundation Web site. The short film is called "Does a Virus Cause Breast Cancer in Women?"

"It is a great summary of the state of play of the research and how important it is to continue it," Rudy said.

The video can be found here on YouTube.

Ruddy is also working on a second edition of her book "The Pink Virus," and has recently appeared in a CBS News segment.

She said that as a result of the segment and a recent Associated Press story, downloads of the iPhone application have skyrocketed.

"If we ever hope to change the statistics on breast cancer, our most promising intervention is going to be understanding what the causes are and prevent it," Ruddy said. "It is very hard to catch up and cure once it happens. I think women need to know how little money is spent understanding the causes to help prevent the disease. I think if women know how little is spent, women will demand to increase it."