A new laser system is being developed that can uproot cancer cells that are smaller than the width of a human hair without damaging the surrounding healthy tissues.
Researchers at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh received £1.2 million from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to fund the project.
The new system will be based on a high-speed 'Picosecond' laser that provides energy in a series of pulses of just one trillionth/second.
They will now work with doctors at the University of Leeds's National Health Service Fund and Leeds Teaching Hospital to apply the technique to brain cancers. Laser surgery expert Jonathan Shephard and his colleagues have already demonstrated that the concept of treatment can be used successfully in colorectal cancers.
Previously, researchers focused on colorectal cancers. "We have demonstrated in the laboratory that our laser system can remove cancer cells in a way that reduces the damage of surrounding healthy cells, within the range of human hair width," said Professor Shephard.
"Because laser pulses are too short, there is no heat time to burn surrounding tissue, which is what happens with current surgical instruments."
"We are building on our understanding of lasers in colorectal cancer surgery for clinical application and are working to adapt it to brain, head and neck cancers, which can have significant benefits for patients."
The most important principle of any cancer surgery is to make sure that all cancer cells are removed, and not doing so will lead to the cancer returning.
David Jayne, consultant surgeon at Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust, said: "Surgical lasers open up new and exciting ways to cancer surgery. The accuracy of the laser combined with imaging to accurately distinguish cancer from natural tissues will greatly enhance the ability of surgeons to completely remove cancers with minimal side-effects for patients. The researchers will also develop a flexible fiber-optic system that can target and remove cancer cells twice as accurately as current technology.
Professor Shephard and his team will develop a new laser treatment system over the next three years.
Source: Daily Mail
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