[ad_1]
The chemical causes tumors to glow pink under UV light
A chemical that makes brain tumors glow pink could help to remove the cancer safely, a trial suggests.
Scientists Gave People with Potential Glioma to a Drink Container 5-ALA, a substance known to accumulate in fast-growing cancer cells.
The most common causes of cancer are the most aggressive cancers.
Researchers hope it will make it easier for people to distinguish between cancer cells and healthy brain tissue.
Treatment for glioma, the most common form of brain cancer and the one that killed ex-minister cabinet minister lady Tessa Jowell, usually involves surgery to remove as much cancer as possible, and the prognosis for patients is often poor.
For this new trial, 99 patients with suspected high-grade (fast-growing) gliomas were given a drink containing 5-ALA before surgery.
Research has previously shown that 5-ALA ends up in fast-growing cancer cells, because they lack an enzyme needed to break down the chemical.
Surgeons used microscopes to help them look for fluorescent tissue while removing tumors from patients' brains.
During their operations, surgeons reported fluorescence in 85 patients.
Of these, 81 were confirmed by pathologists to have high-grade disease, and were not badessed.
In the 14 patients in whom we did not see any fluorescence, seven tumors were found to be low-grade gliomas.
Study author Dr. Kathreena Kurian, Associate Professor in Brain Tumor Research at the University of Bristol, said: "There is an urgent need to be a patient while on the table, while the neurosurgeon is operating, which will guide you to the worst. bits.
"The beauty of 5-ALA is that they can see where high-grade glioma is, while they're operating."
Lady Tessa Jowell died in May this year
The researchers cautioned that the study looked at patients who were already suspected of having high-grade tumors, and a larger study in which patients had low-grade disease.
Other types of markers may be tested for detecting low-grade glioma cells, they say.
Next steps could include testing the 5-ALA in children with brain tumors, or to help patients with cancer.
Dr. Paul Brennan, from Cancer Research UK, said: "Highlighting the more aggressive tumor tumors in real-time could help doctors achieve a healthy tumor.
"The fluorescent marker may also ease the burden of follow-up treatment, as cancer cells require additional radiotherapy or chemotherapy."
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence approved the use of 5-ALA for patients with brain tumors, prior to surgery, earlier this year.
The research is being presented at the 2018 NCRI Cancer Conference in Glasgow from 4 to 6 November.
[ad_2]
Source link
