Jack Andraka

Breakthrough: How One Teen’s Discovery Will Change Cancer Detection Forever

What were you doing when you were 15 years old? Most of us could barely keep our rooms clean or get out of bed to make it to school on time.

But Jack Andraka, now 18, was different. As a high school sophomore in Crownsville, Maryland, Andraka, motivated by the loss of a dear family friend who died from pancreatic cancer, discovered an early detection test for pancreatic, ovarian and lung cancers.

Andraka’s discovery has earned him major awards, including a 2014 Jefferson Award, the nation’s most prestigious public service honor and a 2012 Smithsonian American Ingenuity Youth Award, among many others.

On March 10, 2015, with the release of his new book, Breakthrough: How One Teen Innovator is Changing the World, Andraka adds “author” to his list of accolades. Parade.com caught up with Andraka to find out more about his potentially life-saving invention and how he persevered to see it through. CLICK FOR MORE