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Written By: Editorial Team | Published : June 21, 2014 4:15 PM IST
According to a study published in the journal Optics Letters, scientists have created a new dual-mode imaging technology to visualise tumours in real time in the operating theaters. So now, we could soon have cheaper and light-weighted tools like goggles or hand-held devices to locate tumors in real time. (Read: Will the trending precision medicine provide better outcome in cancer patients?)
Surgeons need to determine exactly where the cancerous cells lie before they exorcise a tumour. The dual-mode imager combines two systems-near-infrared fluorescent imaging to detect marked cancer cells and visible light reflectance imaging to see the contours of the tissue itself-into one small, lightweight package approximately the size of a quarter in diameter, just 25 millimetre across.
'Dual modality is the path forward because it has significant advantages over single modality,' said Rongguang Liang, an associate professor of optical sciences at University of Arizona in the US. 'By combining different modalities together, you get a much better picture of the tissue,' which could help surgeons make sure they remove every last bit of the tumor and as small amount of healthy tissue as possible, said Brian Applegate of Texas A&M University in the US. (Read: Is genetic testing for cancer overhyped?)
People have realized that in order to better diagnose diseases like cancer, he noted, you need information from a variety of sources, whether it is fluorescence imaging, optical imaging or biochemical markers.
Basic cancer treatments: Surgery, Chemotherapy, Radiotherapy and Bone marrow transplants
Everyone are aware of the fact that till date cancer has no cure. Being diagnosed with this dreaded disease can flood you with emotions that can be hard to deal with. Many questions run through your mind particularly those related to the treatment options that are currently available for this disease. Here are some basic treatment measures that are widely used:
SURGERY
Surgery remains the foundation of cancer treatment. For most of the cancers that are localised and not spread to other parts of the body, surgery is the best chance for a remission. It is also used for cancer diagnosis and staging (tells how far cancer has spread).
CHEMOTHERAPY
Cancer treatment that uses drugs (anticancer drugs) to destroy cancer cells, stops them from spreading and slows their growth is called chemotherapy. Most of them are not specific to cancer cells and target all rapidly dividing cells like bone marrow cells, hair follicles, etc. Generally, normal cells can repair themselves. Read more about the Basic cancer treatments.
With inputs from IANS
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