Whether it’s an advance in treatment, a medical imaging tool that detects cancerous tumors or a prosthetic device that enables patients to walk again, medical breakthroughs are transformative. And as the pace of innovation accelerates, understanding how to identify a true medical breakthrough can help your health writing stay accurate and credible.

The first medical breakthroughs started out somewhat by chance. When researchers tested platinum on cancer cells, they stumbled upon its ability to destroy the disease—a discovery that led to cisplatin, one of the most widely used and effective cancer-fighting drugs in history.

But breakthroughs today are often rooted in basic research that’s then translated to clinical applications. The development of anesthesia, for example, made it possible for surgeons to undertake longer operations — and save lives. But post-surgery infections were soaring and deadly until microbiologist Louis Pasteur’s germ theory explained how infections occur, paving the way for vaccines, antibiotics and sanitary practices like clean water, sewers and handwashing to reduce infectious disease rates.

Other medical advances include HMS researchers’ identification of the gene that causes an inherited form of colon cancer and the development of insulin, which helps millions of people lead healthy lives. Other key developments include a 3D printer that creates structures such as prosthetic limbs and organ scaffolding; a pill that prevents heart attacks in high-risk patients; and the invention of a stent, which keeps arteries open. And new technologies such as telemedicine, wearable health devices and artificial intelligence are improving access to care, transforming diagnosis and treatment and enabling patients to be more involved in their own care.