obie7661
11-26-2006, 05:02 AM
ABOUT 80 per cent of cancers are detected at a stage when they are already advanced. But it may soon be possible to spot the disease even before the cancerous cells have formed life-threatening lumps and lesions.
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Going beyond white light and ultraviolet light imaging for cancer screening, scientists at the National University of Singapore's (NUS) Division of Bioengineering have developed a non-invasive system called Near-Infra-Red (NIR) spectroscopic imaging that can detect pre- cancer.
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Already, in a small-scale clinical trial, the National University Hospital has screened 58 women for cervical cancer and found pre-cancerous cells in 12 of them. This is the first time cancer screening has been done within the body, without waiting for blood tests or biopsies, said principal researcher Dr Huang Zhiwei.
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"Routine white light endoscope screenings cannot detect pre-cancer, because the cancerous cells are underneath the surface and not visible to the naked eye," said Dr Huang.
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Ultraviolet imaging procedures, while more sensitive, tend to over-diagnose, giving a lot of false positives as they cannot distinguish between cells.
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NIR imaging, however, can penetrate surface tissues, detect abnormalities and tell the difference between normal, benign and cancerous cells, he said.
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The system makes use of "autofluorescence", a reaction of the cells in our body to specific light. Certain proteins or lipids in our cells react differently to lights, showing up as different colours or dark spots.
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Early results from 31 of the cervical cancer screenings show a good level of accuracy, with a rate of 94 per cent sensitivity and 100 per cent specificity.
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Dr Huang said this is very promising, and could complement routine Pap smears, which are not sensitive to pre-cancer and can only monitor cell changes over time. NIR imaging however, can give an accurate diagnosis in real-time.
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The diagnosis of lung cancer with this technology is superior to current tests, with 94 per cent sensitivity compared to 50 to 60 per cent in clinical screening.
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It will take two years or more for the technology to hit the market, said Dr Huang, as more trials are needed to build a reliable database.
.
The current probe also has to be redesigned to be smaller and more flexible, so that it can be used to screen the whole body, he added. Imaging to spot pre-cancerous cells before they turn life-threatening developed at NUS...
Link to complete article: http://www.todayonline.com/articles/156802.asp
.
Going beyond white light and ultraviolet light imaging for cancer screening, scientists at the National University of Singapore's (NUS) Division of Bioengineering have developed a non-invasive system called Near-Infra-Red (NIR) spectroscopic imaging that can detect pre- cancer.
.
Already, in a small-scale clinical trial, the National University Hospital has screened 58 women for cervical cancer and found pre-cancerous cells in 12 of them. This is the first time cancer screening has been done within the body, without waiting for blood tests or biopsies, said principal researcher Dr Huang Zhiwei.
.
"Routine white light endoscope screenings cannot detect pre-cancer, because the cancerous cells are underneath the surface and not visible to the naked eye," said Dr Huang.
.
Ultraviolet imaging procedures, while more sensitive, tend to over-diagnose, giving a lot of false positives as they cannot distinguish between cells.
.
NIR imaging, however, can penetrate surface tissues, detect abnormalities and tell the difference between normal, benign and cancerous cells, he said.
.
The system makes use of "autofluorescence", a reaction of the cells in our body to specific light. Certain proteins or lipids in our cells react differently to lights, showing up as different colours or dark spots.
.
Early results from 31 of the cervical cancer screenings show a good level of accuracy, with a rate of 94 per cent sensitivity and 100 per cent specificity.
.
Dr Huang said this is very promising, and could complement routine Pap smears, which are not sensitive to pre-cancer and can only monitor cell changes over time. NIR imaging however, can give an accurate diagnosis in real-time.
.
The diagnosis of lung cancer with this technology is superior to current tests, with 94 per cent sensitivity compared to 50 to 60 per cent in clinical screening.
.
It will take two years or more for the technology to hit the market, said Dr Huang, as more trials are needed to build a reliable database.
.
The current probe also has to be redesigned to be smaller and more flexible, so that it can be used to screen the whole body, he added. Imaging to spot pre-cancerous cells before they turn life-threatening developed at NUS...
Link to complete article: http://www.todayonline.com/articles/156802.asp