Skin Cancer: The Naked Truth
May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month.
Skin Cancer includes
- Basal Cell Carcinoma
- Squamous Cell Carcinoma
- Melanoma
Last month Battling Cancer covered Melanoma in an exclusive post you can find in the archives.
Posts Tagged Detection
New developments in cancer research make some tumors “glow in the dark”
The problem with excising cancerous cells from the body through surgery or radiation is that cells can be left behind to act as a seed to a new tumor. In school, we learned that it can take even as little as 30 cells left behind to do exactly that. Recently, physicians and scientists have found ways to make some cancerous cells glow in the dark, making them easier to spot within the human body and thus, easier to take right out in the hands of oncologists.
Scientists at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) are developing new ways to detect “silent” tumor masses, including ovarian cancer and pancreatic cancer. The problem with these types of cancer is that there are normally very few symptoms that arise until the cancers have progressed and metastasized, making early detection and treatment very difficult. In order to address these detection problems, researchers at the NCI, lead by Dr. Hisataka Kobayashi, M.D., Ph.D., are using fluorescent imaging techniques to detect small tumor growths in mice that would not be detected using the cuurent practices.
The first study uses the fluorescent compound called Av-3ROX, which consists of the protein avidin bound to three molecules of rhodamine X, a fluorescent dye that emits a detectable signal when hit with the correct wavelength of light. The joining of avidin to rhodamine X results in the inability of rhodamine X to fluoresce. The genius of this approach is that avidin binds specifically to another protein that is found only on cancer cells. The cancer cells then “digest” the Av-3ROX, which is then broken down inside the cell to the base parts.
Can detecting breast cancer be as easy as putting on a bra?
Women: Are you looking for the newest tool in early breast cancer detection? If Dr. Elias Siores had his way, you might not have to look further than your own lingerie drawer.
According to ABCNews.com, a team of researchers led by Dr. Siores at the United Kingdom’s Centre for Research and Innovation at the University of Bolton has developed a new “smart bra” that they hope will alert women of any microscopic changes in body temperature. Small changes in temperature such as these may be correlated with early tumor development, and this new foray into women’s clothing design hopes to take advantage of that fact by using passive microwaves that are embedded into the fibers of the bra.
But is such an easy solution accurate? The Mayo Clinic thinks that women should be weary of such one-size-fits-all approaches to tumor detection.
How To Do a Breast Self-Exam
According to the American Cancer Society, the chance that breast cancer will be responsible for a woman’s death is about 1 in 33 or 3%. Overall, about 1 in 12 women may contract breast cancer at some age, with the odds higher later in life. But thanks to modern medicine, many breast cancers can be successfully treated with only minor impact. However, the success of that treatment depends critically on early detection, and the earlier the better. One simple way to up the odds of discovery is to perform a regular breast self examination.
* The Goal Is To Detect Changes Which Might Signal Conditions Worth Investigating
Tina Radcliffe spent ten years as a Oncology Certified R.N. working with in-patients on oncology and med-surg units. She also has a background in home health and geriatrics. Her other experiences include ... .. 
