Page 88 - The Love Hypothesis

that point, the cancer has already spread so widely, most treatments can’t do

much to counteract it. But if diagnosis were faster—”
“People could get treatment sooner and have a higher chance of
survival,” Tom said, nodding a bit impatiently. “Yep, I’m well aware. We

already have some screening tools, though. Like imaging.”
She wasn’t surprised he brought it up, since imaging was what Tom’s

lab focused on. “Yes, but that’s expensive, time-consuming, and often not
useful because of the pancreas’s position. But . . .” She took another deep

breath. “I think I have found a set of biomarkers. Not from tissue biopsy—
blood biomarkers. Noninvasive, easy to obtain. Cheap. In mice they can

detect pancreatic cancer as early as stage one.”
She paused. Tom and Adam were both staring at her. Tom was clearly
interested, and Adam looked . . . a little weird, to be honest. Impressed,

maybe? Nah, impossible.
“Okay. This sounds promising. What’s the next step?”

“Collecting more data. Running more analyses with better equipment to
prove that my set of biomarkers is worthy of a clinical trial. But for that I

need a larger lab.”
“I see.” He nodded with a thoughtful expression and then leaned back in

his chair. “Why pancreatic cancer?”
“It’s one of the most lethal, and we know so little about how—”
“No,” Tom interrupted. “Most third-year Ph.D. students are too busy

infighting over the centrifuge to come up with their own line of research.
There must be a reason you’re so motivated. Did someone close to you

have cancer?”
Olive swallowed before reluctantly answering, “Yes.”

“Who?”
“Tom,” Adam said, a trace of warning in his voice. His knee was still

against her thigh. Still warm. And yet, Olive felt her blood turn cold. She
really, really didn’t want to say it. And yet she couldn’t ignore the question.
She needed Tom’s help.

“My mother.”