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The problem with fighting cancer is selectively destroying cancer cells while leaving normal cells alone. This article unfortunately says nothing about how this
by apo 7y ago
The problem with fighting cancer is selectively destroying cancer cells while leaving normal cells alone. This article unfortunately says nothing about how this device does so (or even whether it does).
Without some handle on this aspect, side effects (some of which might show up much later) could be a major problem with this treatment.
No time to plow through the original paper - does anyone know?
- doctoboggan 7y agoYes, the linked article addresses exactly that: The laser, beamed at a vein, sends energy to the bloodstream, creating heat. Melanoma CTCs absorb more of this energy than normal cells, causing them to heat up quickly and expand. This thermal expansion produces sound waves, known as the photoacoustic effect, and can be recorded by a small ultrasound transducer placed over the skin near the laser. The recordings indicate when a CTC is passing in the bloodstream. The same laser can also be used to destroy the CTCs in real time. Heat from the laser causes vapor bubbles to form on the tumor cells. The bubbles expand and collapse, interacting with the cell and mechanically destroying it.