UCL scientists have developed a new technique for detecting the uptake of sugar in tumors, using magnetic resonance imaging.
Posted on 07/08/2013 5:59:57 PM PDT by neverdem
UCL scientists have developed a new technique for detecting the uptake of sugar in tumors, using magnetic resonance imaging.
A new technique for detecting cancer by imaging the consumption of sugar with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been unveiled by UCL scientists. The breakthrough could provide a safer and simpler alternative to standard radioactive techniques and enable radiologists to image tumours in greater detail.
The new technique, called 'glucose chemical exchange saturation transfer' (glucoCEST), is based on the fact that tumours consume much more glucose (a type of sugar) than normal, healthy tissues in order to sustain their growth.
The researchers found that sensitising an MRI scanner to glucose uptake caused tumours to appear as bright images on MRI scans of mice.
Lead researcher Dr Simon Walker-Samuel, from the UCL Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging (CABI) said: "GlucoCEST uses radio waves to magnetically label glucose in the body. This can then be detected in tumours using conventional MRI techniques. The method uses an injection of normal sugar and could offer a cheap, safe alternative to existing methods for detecting tumours, which require the injection of radioactive material." Professor Mark Lythgoe, Director of CABI and a senior author on the study, said: "We can detect cancer using the same sugar content found in half a standard sized chocolate bar. Our research reveals a useful and cost-effective method for imaging cancers using MRI – a standard imaging technology available in many large hospitals." 
Tumors use large quantities of glucose to sustain their growth. By injecting normal, unlabeled sugar, UCL scientists have developed a way to detect its accumulation in tumors using magnetic resonance
He continued: "In the future, patients could potentially be scanned in local hospitals, rather than being referred to specialist medical centres." The study is published in the journal Nature Medicine and trials are now underway to detect glucose in human cancers.
According to UCL's Professor Xavier Golay, another senior author on the study: "Our cross-disciplinary research could allow vulnerable patient groups such as pregnant women and young children to be scanned more regularly, without the risks associated with a dose of radiation." Dr Walker-Samuel added: "We have developed a new state-of-the-art imaging technique to visualise and map the location of tumours that will hopefully enable us to assess the efficacy of novel cancer therapies."
Source : d.weston@ucl.ac.uk
and because it is useful and works, obamacare will deny it.
Obamacare will dispense sugar pills but good luck getting that MRI.
During the course of treating and caring for my elderly Lab with cancer, I tried most everything. As far as diet, it’s commonly believed that a high protein diet devoid of grain, starches and sugars is beneficial. Grains, starch and sugar “feed” a tumor or so the holistic conventional wisdom goes. I wouldn’t know if it’s true, but my dog loved the diet, his coat came back in glossy and he was happy. The cancer wasn’t what killed him.
PET scans are this way.
You gotta wonder why the first words from the oncologists mouth after giving patients the bad news isn’t “stop eating sugar to increase your chances of survival”.
Check out tumeric. It is a spice that has been shown to shrink or prevent tumors. We give it to our dogs- they love it mixed with water and put on their food. One of our dogs has had several mast cell tumors and had to have them surgically removed. None since we put him on tumeric.
And sorry about the loss of your loved one.
Exactly.
I also know a smoker who has mysteriously lost a severe amount of weight. If I were him I would want a full cancer screening. You don’t just loose a ton of weight without something using that energy.
Metformin, ask your MD about it...
Seems that something that highlights rumors can be turned up to fry them. Next step?
What way do you dispense tumeric?
I have bone lesion on my skull. It may have matastisized from the breast cancer.
I had a whole body scan now I’m fixng to have a PET scan on top area and they use the glucose injection. Later an open MRI for lower area.
For PET scan—Protein only day before scan. No exercise, etc. Nothing 6 hrs before scan..
Glucose injection, then set for 1 hr, then scan. Cancelled twice. I’m claustrophobic.
Metformim is for Diabetics. How does that relate?
Yes, my husband had a number of PET scans. They are much more expensive than MRIs. Organs that normally have high sugar content can't be assessed to have cancer by a PET scan. The kidneys, for instance, will light up whether or not there is cancer there due to the usual sugar that is in the kidneys. When we would see the PET scans, organs normally with sugar were always lit up.
All energy sources are converted into sugar before your cells burn it. You can’t starve a tumor.
However, processed sugars no doubt cause unnatural sugar spikes. I wouldn’t be surprised if cancer is more likely to begin in a high sugar environment
Now I’m wondering why it all can’t be done in the ‘OPEN MRI, if the MRI uses the glucose also.
Also on another note: About cancer of the breast.
FIRST: You need to find out if you’re are ‘estrogen receptive positive’.
If you have had a complete hysterectomy and have taken hormones for years and years you are in BIG trouble. One can get by not taking hormones. Don’t think you can’t! Hormones feed the cancer. They did mine. Also I was drinking Soy beverage for several years and soy has flavinoids so it is also bad for ‘estrogen receptive positive’ cancers.
i heard that sugar feeds cancer
Metformin has been found to reduce cancer rates by 50 to 75% in those taking it.
I, too, was diagnosed with estrogen-positive BC. Prior to diagnosis, I didn’t take hormones of any kind, and I didn’t drink soy beverages. However, for a few years before diagnosis, there was one thing I was consuming in large amounts — SUGAR! :-(
Since then, I try to eat mostly veggies now. But, every once in awhile, I fall off the wagon.
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