LONDON, England (CNN) -- Blind women are being trained to use their sensitive touch to help detect breast cancer earlier and more precisely than doctors. The blind assistants use tape strips with braille coordinates to accurately locate cancerous lumps The program, called "Discovering Hands," is the brainchild of German gynecologist Dr. Frank Hoffmann. Two years ago, he created Braille strips as a system of orientation, allowing the blind to carry out breast examinations. Using these strips blind women are trained to become Medical Tactile Examiners (MTUs) because they are more able to detect smaller lumps than sighted doctors. Hoffman argues that because of their disability, the blind can possess a more acutely developed sense of touch, which has proved to be a valuable asset in breast examinations.
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Blind women being trained to use their sensitive touch to detect breast cancer lumps
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Called Medical Tactile Examiners, they can spend more time on patients
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The 'Discovering Hands' program takes place at a school in Düren, west Germany
The testing phase of the project between 2006 and 2008 has now been completed in @placeholder.