The first step in treating an illness is a diagnosis. Unfortunately, cancer can be difficult to diagnose. It can hide in the body, lying dormant for years without symptoms. Even under the microscope, it can be difficult to tell whether a cell is cancerous or not. Speed is also an issue. A quick diagnosis is key in proceeding with cancer treatment because of how aggressive some forms of the disease can be.
This is why advances made at the University of Illinois in 2010 have been such a step forward in the diagnosis stage of cancer treatment. The new technique uses nonlinear interferometric vibrational imaging (NIVI) to find cancer cells during a biopsy in as little as five minutes. Even more impressive than the speed at which NIVI finds the cells is the accuracy of the technology. NIVI, which is basically laser light, is 99 percent accurate. Accuracy that high would almost ensure the end to erroneous diagnoses.
The scientists at the University of Illinois had been searching for a way to find an easier, more objective way to diagnose cancer. Cancer diagnosis is a fairly subjective procedure. Because there has been no quantitative way to spot cancer cells, scientists must judge a cell by looking at its structure. But that can be inaccurate and lead to misdiagnosis.
NIVI pinpoints proteins in molecules of cells. Protein tends to gather in cancer cells, and NIVI isolates the areas of buildup with light that appears red under analysis. NIVI also is useful for identifying the borders of cancerous tumors. It is often hard to tell the exact boundaries of cancerous tumors, and NIVI could help osteopathic surgeons in the future by exhibiting what needs removing.
Researchers are trying to identify possibly applications for NIVI. With more research and refinement, NIVI could expand to other uses in the medical field.