Cancer CarePoint Blog

A new way to find invisible tumors

Emerging Technology Trends at ZDNet.com describes a new surgery technique that enables surgeons to see tumors and other pathologies invisible with previous methods. Excerpts below.

Link: » A new way to find invisible tumors | Emerging Technology Trends | ZDNet.com

This new 'x-ray vision' laparoscopic technology received the first prize for technical achievement at the 62nd annual meeting of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM). This new method incorporates specific filters in the endoscope light system, and surgeons can see 'the tiny amounts of fluorescent light that all living human tissues give off when illuminated, a phenomenon called autofluorescence.' In a first step, this technique will be used for the diagnosis of endometriosis, a potentially debilitating disease that affects 5.5 million women in the United States alone. As the system can be used to view virtually any organs, the research team is already focused on other applications, such as cancer detection.

This new system has been developed by Steven Palter, who's been working for years to integrate high technology developments into surgical procedures and tools. He's also the creator of the Docinthemachine website, which is focused on new technology developments in medicine, and the Scientific Director for Gold Coast IVF, which provides treatment for all causes of infertility and is based in Syosset, NY.

Here is a short description of this new visualization tool for surgeons.

This new technique enables surgeons to see tumors and other pathologies, including endometriosis not otherwise visible. In traditional laparoscopy, the telescope provides the same view as would be seen with the naked eye. In the new method, highly specific filters are incorporated into the light system and telescope so that surgeons can see the tiny amounts of fluorescent light that all living human tissues give off when illuminated, a phenomenon called "autofluorescence".

You'll find more details on this system by reading How The Autofluorescence System Works. Below is an illustration showing the system (Credit: Steven Palter)."

Tissues illuminated with regular light emit a small amount of differently colored fluorescent light which is often not seen since the overall illuminating white light is so much brighter. By applying specific filters to the illumination light the amount of fluorescent light emitted can be maximized. By using observation filters, the large amount of illuminating light can be filtered out and the small amount of colored fluorescent light made to stand out and be more easily seen.

For more information, you can read Palter's thoughts about The Coming Radical Transformation of Surgery and watch several short videos available on this page about this new "X-Ray vision" tumor surgery technique.

Sources: docinthemachine.com website

Oncology Combo Treatment Saves Money Later

Medical New Today reports on a new study from the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group suggests that the least expensive, single-modality cancer treatment may cost more in the long run because of the costs associated with treating complications and recurrence of cancer. Excerpts below.

Link: Oncology Combo Treatment Costs More, Saves Money Later

From a health insurer's perspective, the most effective cancer treatment may also be the most cost-effective, according to a new study sponsored by the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG 91-11).

Compared to higher-priced combination treatments, the least expensive, single-modality cancer treatment may cost more in the long run because of the costs associated with treating complications and recurrence of cancer, said lead author Andre A. Konski, M.D., M.B.A., M.A., a radiation oncologist and director of clinical research in Fox Chase Cancer Center's radiation oncology department. Konski presented the results 7-Nov-2006 at the 48th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology in Philadelphia.

The study examined costs for patients with Medicare insurance who had taken part in an RTOG clinical trial, #9111, for locally advanced laryngeal cancer between 1991 and 1996. That randomized phase III trial was designed to compare three treatment regimens--two combining radiation therapy and chemotherapy and one using only radiation therapy.