A shining light in cancer research

摘要

A less invasive treatment for prostate cancer is a step closer thanks to preclinical studies by researchers in the US. Prostate cancer accounts for almost one in four of male cancers in the UK. The disease is treated mostly by surgery or radiation, however, treatment using photodynamic therapy (PDT) is currently undergoing clinical trials. The treatment uses an antitumour drug that remains inactive until it is exposed to light. Doctors shine laser light into the body through a catheter, targeting the tumour using fibre optics.