Glowing dyes are used to find invisible cells

42 minutes ago

by Aurelia Foster, BBC News Health Reporter

Cancer Research UK

A special type of fluorescent dye could help surgeons to more precisely locate and remove prostate cancer cells, British scientists at the University of Oxford believe.

It is important to remove all the cancer to reduce the risk of it coming back.

The glowing dye attaches to proteins that are only present in cancer cells.

In a small initial study of 23 men, the surgeons say the technique helped them find areas of cancerous tissue that couldn't be seen with the naked eye or by other clinical techniques.

A larger trial, funded by Cancer Research UK (CRUK), is currently being planned.

In some of the 23 men undergoing surgery for prostate cancer, surgeons found cancer cells that had spread to nearby tissue or lymph nodes but may have been missed using conventional methods.

This is the first time the method has been tested on humans in the UK, and the results are European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.

Larger trials are Facilitate learningwill further test how effective this is compared to other approaches.

Cancer Research UK

'hopeful'

Lead researcher Prof Freddy Hamdi told the BBC it was too early to know whether the treatment would work for all patients, but it looked “promising”.

“In many patients, it has uncovered cancer that would not have been found otherwise,” he said.

“This is the first time we've been able to see such fine details of prostate cancer in real time during surgery,” Prof Hamdy said.

“With this technique, we can remove all of the cancer, including cells that may have spread from the tumor and recur later.”

“Invisible cancers are just as important,” he added.

Prof Hamdy believes that this method will enable more healthy tissue to be preserved during surgery, reducing the chance of side effects that sometimes occur after prostate surgery, such as erectile dysfunction and incontinence.

'Very lucky'

David Butler, from Bradford, West Yorkshire, took part in the trial.

“We found out I had cancer in my lymph nodes and bladder,” he said.

He underwent radiation treatment after surgery and has since been cancer-free.

“I feel very lucky,” he said.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in the UK, with around 52,300 new cases of prostate cancer each year.

Dr Ian Foulkes, executive director of research and innovation at CRUK, said: “We need better tools to find cancer when it has started to spread further. The combination of marker dye and imaging system developed in this study could fundamentally change the way prostate cancer is treated in future.”

CRUK hopes that if trials are successful, the dye could potentially be used in surgery to treat other types of cancer in future.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos