A new pancreatic cancer test is absolutely newsworthy on its own (especially if this one proves out in broader studies). The fact that it was done by a 15-year old makes it even more impressive. It's not unreasonable to applaud a young person for being way ahead of the curve.
You must not have much experience being around teenage boys. An improved test for pancreatic cancer is not something normally coming forth from that demographic.
Because it's even more newsworthy that a 15-year-old did it, and news sites are in a constant battle for our attention.