Friday May 22 12:29 PM EDT
Invention could improve cancer treatments
By Patricia Reaney
LONDON (Reuters) - A new invention that measures the level of oxygen in
malignant tumors could improve the effectiveness
of cancer treatments, doctors said Friday.
The Oxylite system, a tiny optic probe developed by scientists at
Britain's Cancer Research Campaign (CRC) laboratories,
will allow doctors to customize chemotherapy and radiotherapy by
measuring the exact amount of oxygen in a tumor.
"The probe will provide precise information to clinicians to improve
treatment," Dr Trevor Hince, the CRC's director of
science, told a news conference.
Oxygen plays a critical role in cancer development and treatment.
Knowing the precise oxygen levels in a tumor is important
because it gives doctors an indication of how well a cancer is
responding to chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
It could also be useful in determining the effectiveness of new
anti-cancer drugs and could help to reduce serious side effects
in patients.
"This is going to be a tremendous boon," said professor John Griffiths
of St George's Hospital Medical School in south
London.
In addition to its role in treatment, the portable non-magnetic glass
probe can also be used to measure oxygen in a tumor
while patients are in a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner, which
displays images of a tumor with great detail.
"The two methods complement each other very well," Griffiths added.
Four years in the making, the probe will be tested in clinical trials in
Britain and the Netherlands later this year.
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