I like the laser technique better.
Posted on 10/25/2005 8:28:36 PM PDT by Main Street
Scientists working at the University of Dundee have discovered a way to use military technology to destroy cancer cells, writes Stefan Morkis. The “sniper treatment” could be available to patients in as little as five years. In an article published in Nature-Physics, researchers revealed they have found a way to kill cancer cells by using a single blast of ultrasound.
The technique was discovered using photographic techniques originally developed by the Army and it is hoped it could lead to the end of invasive surgery and extensive drug treatment for cancer sufferers.
Previous research had discovered that gas bubbles cluster round cancer cells if injected intravenously. Scientists at Dundee University then found that if these bubbles are stimulated by a microsecond burst of high intensity ultrasound energy, they puncture the cancer cells and kill them.
The research has been led by Dr Paul Campbell from the university and Professor Sir Alfred Cuschieri at the Department of Surgery and Molecular Oncology at Ninewells Hospital.
They were able to establish the new system by utilising an ultra-fast imaging system that can take photographs at one million frames per second. This had originally been developed by the army to observe the impact of ballistic shells and bullets with armour plates.
Dr Campbell said, “Conventional cancer treatment usually requires surgery to cut out the diseased tissues, causing significant trauma, pain and discomfort to the patient, often delaying recovery for an extended period of many months.
“This new ultrasound treatment can focus energy directly to a tumour site inside the body and deliver a single blast of energy without harming the surrounding tissue.”
It is hoped the treatment could eventually make systemic chemotherapy a thing of the past.
“It is a sniper treatment for cancer,” said Dr Campbell.
“The ultrasound-activated bubbles target with single cell precision, so that the technique overall is a little like sniping at specific cancer cells, whilst ensuring healthy tissues remain untouched.”
The research is the culmination of a three-year project funded by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council but Dr Campbell believes that more funding is needed to ensure the full benefits of the treatment are realised.
Well, what do you think about this? Sounds promising.
Don't you mean "BAM!"?
Bam bam, thank you mam, or sir, for pointing that out. ;)
This isn't a drug
True. And technically speaking, ultrasound technology falls more under FCC regulation than FDA regulation.
Yes, it is.
sw
Thanks for the info and God Bless.
Ultrasound treatment is NOT a drug.
Ultrasound treatment is NOT a drug.
Great news if it works out. Much better than the current protocols. Too late for me though. I just finished the surgery and radiation and start chemo Monday (I can hardly wait ;o)).
Supposedly nostradamus predicted that cancer will be cured through the use of pure tones.
Is this going to be one more score for Nostradamus?
<<<
“It is a sniper treatment for cancer,”
>>>>
The question for cancer still remains --- How do you know that you've sniped every last one of the cancer cells using this technique ?
By analogy, if there are one million terrorists, and you kill 999,000 of them, does that mean you're safe ?
Sure, its better than chemo, where you kill ( to use their word -- snipe ) both the innocent together with the bad guys, but this isn't a cure.
Lets call it an improvement.
No money in the drug companies pockets means you'll probably hear little else of it. However, there will be some real doctors out there that will use it because it works, and not because of any kickbacks. You'll just have to search real hard for them, and they're likely not to be in your HMO/PPO.
There are cancerous cells all throughout your body all the time. Cells mutate, and it's a natural and necessary thing. The trick is for your body to take care of the cancerous cells (it's doing this constantly) in a timely enough manner so that the cancerous cell doesn't become a mass of cancerous growth that encroaches on other bodily assets.
Bump for later
True. And technically speaking, ultrasound technology falls more under FCC regulation than FDA regulation.
---
lol, well lets hope they dont have to go through FDA approval and can 'experimenting' on hopeless cases (of course with patients consent) ASAP.
I like the laser technique better.
bump for blessings!
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