New Telegraph

New laser tool raises hope for cancer patients

Researchers in the United Kingdom (UK) have found a new laser system that may revolutionise the treatment of cancers and help surgeons remove them without damaging healthy tissue.

 

The researchers at the Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, UK, are working on the system based around ultrafast picosecond lasers    that deliver energy in a series of pulses one trillionth of a second long.

 

A laser is a device that emits a beam of coherent light through an optical amplification process. Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally, accounting for an estimated 9.6 million deaths, or one in six deaths, in 2018.

 

Lung, prostate, colorectal, stomach and liver cancer are the most common types of cancer in men, while breast, colorectal, lung, cervical and thyroid cancer are the most common among women.

 

In Nigeria, some 100,000 new cases of cancer occur every year, leading to over 70 000 deaths per annum (28, 414 for male and 41, 913 for female).

 

The Project Lead, Professor Jonathan Shephard, who was given £1.2 million by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) in the UK to develop the treatment, said the system has proven successful on colorectal cancers in the laboratory, the ‘Sky News’ reported.

 

“We proved in the lab that our laser system can remove cancer cells in a way that restricts damage to the surrounding, healthy cells – within the width of a human hair,” he said.

 

Shephard explained this happens because the laser pulses are so short and there is no time for heat to burn the surrounding tissue, which is what happens with current surgical tools.

 

He added:”We’re building on our understanding of lasers in colorectal cancer surgery towards clinical application, and working on adapting it for brain, head and neck cancers, where it could have huge benefits for patients.

 

“The most important principle of any cancer surgery is to ensure that all cancer cells are removed; failure to do so will result in the cancer coming back.” He added that even microscopic loss of healthy tissue can lead to severe consequences, including impact on quality of life.

 

The scientists will also focus on developing a flexible, optical fibre-based system that can target and remove cancer cells two orders of magnitude smaller than current technology.

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