What was the medical advancement that prolonged life expectancy enough to allow retirees to enjoy their retirement?

• Helpful robots
Picture being able to call on an army of small robots to help you heal. Scientists are trying to use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners to do precisely that — steer tiny robots to deliver drugs or act as interventional devices within the human body. Currently, MRI is used as a non-invasive diagnostic device. But this updated application reimagines the technology to offer minimally invasive treatment, which could address both complications and slow healing time resulting from invasive surgical procedures.

• New cancer vaccines
New immunotherapy medicines and cancer vaccines have proven remarkably successful in addressing specific types of cancer. These vaccines try to condition the body’s own immune system to eliminate cancer cells without harming healthy ones. Scientists are currently working on pairing new and old vaccines, including providing a booster to treat a kind of brain cancer.
The study revealed that those who got this dual vaccine lived three to seven years longer after therapy than those who received the vaccine without the tetanus portion. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved a U.S. clinical trial of a lung cancer vaccine produced in Cuba. This vaccine (CimaVax) was created for non–small cell lung cancer and has been available since 2011.

• Super smart food scanners
Consumers can use scanners built into their smartphones to find out more details about their food. Organizations such as Scio, Tellspec, and Target have already designed prototypes that can deliver nutritional data at the touch of a button. This means we can scan an apple or a fish and find out what nutrients it has and how fresh it is. These scanners will have a clear advantage for anyone who likes to follow a healthier diet or stay away from foods that trigger risky allergies.