3 ms·

So I'm assuming this is only applicable for tumors which are on the skin or just below the skin? Or can they somehow selectively blast light through various lay

by elric 6y ago

So I'm assuming this is only applicable for tumors which are on the skin or just below the skin? Or can they somehow selectively blast light through various layers of tissue without damaging anything?

tyingq 6y ago
A bit of googling suggests they use laparotomy and optical fibers and/or scopes to deliver the light if PDT works well for certain cancers.
- treeman79 6y ago
  Aren’t there ways to have several beams outside body converge in the body to produce heat? If there is a way to highlight cancer, then it could burn out all the bright spots
  - KMag 6y ago
    Photons, electors, and protons all have exponential drop-offs in energy as they pass through the body. (Obviously much flatter for protons or x-rays than for visible light.) If you're going to go very deep, you're going to want to use at least X-rays if not electron or proton beams. Even with UV, it's just not very efficient to lose such a high percentage of energy near the surface. But, you're right, probably 20 years ago I saw photos of a device for converging proton beams on brain cancer. It just doesn't work very well using anything weaker than X-rays for anything very deep.
BurningFrog 6y ago
Read the whole article, and nothing about the light application was explained
refurb 6y ago
I would say it’s use is limited against solid tumors where the light won’t penetrate beyond a few layers of cells.
monopoledance 6y ago
More info in the /r/science thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/science/comments/l2nefj/korean_scientists_developed_a_cancertargeted/ https://www.reddit.com/r/science/comments/l2nefj/korean_scie... Overall, it's always nice to have a new way of telling cancerous and healthy cells apart. That's all what cancer research is about in a way. The photosensitizers may also respond to shorter wave length radiation or (modified) to other ways to activate the cytotoxic potential, e.g. conventional chemotherapy.

by elric 6y ago

tyingq 6y ago

A bit of googling suggests they use laparotomy and optical fibers and/or scopes to deliver the light if PDT works well for certain cancers.

treeman79 6y ago
Aren’t there ways to have several beams outside body converge in the body to produce heat? If there is a way to highlight cancer, then it could burn out all the bright spots
- KMag 6y ago
  Photons, electors, and protons all have exponential drop-offs in energy as they pass through the body. (Obviously much flatter for protons or x-rays than for visible light.) If you're going to go very deep, you're going to want to use at least X-rays if not electron or proton beams. Even with UV, it's just not very efficient to lose such a high percentage of energy near the surface. But, you're right, probably 20 years ago I saw photos of a device for converging proton beams on brain cancer. It just doesn't work very well using anything weaker than X-rays for anything very deep.

BurningFrog 6y ago

Read the whole article, and nothing about the light application was explained

refurb 6y ago

I would say it’s use is limited against solid tumors where the light won’t penetrate beyond a few layers of cells.

monopoledance 6y ago

More info in the /r/science thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/science/comments/l2nefj/korean_scientists_developed_a_cancertargeted/ https://www.reddit.com/r/science/comments/l2nefj/korean_scie... Overall, it's always nice to have a new way of telling cancerous and healthy cells apart. That's all what cancer research is about in a way. The photosensitizers may also respond to shorter wave length radiation or (modified) to other ways to activate the cytotoxic potential, e.g. conventional chemotherapy.