Researchers use lasers to detect and destroy tumor cells in melanoma patients

Tumor cells that spread cancer via the bloodstream face a new foe: a laser beam, shined from outside the skin, that finds and kills these metastatic little demons on the spot. In a study published today in Science Translational Medicine, researchers revealed that their system accurately detected these cells in 27 out of 28 people with cancer, with a sensitivity that is about 1,000 times better than current technology. Cancer spreads when cells from primary tumors break off and travel through the bloodstream and lymph system, settling in new areas of the body and forming secondary tumors.

Source: spectrum.ieee.org