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Tag: spreads

  • Scientists Unveil Diamond-Based Breakthrough to Spot Metastatic Cancer

    Scientists Unveil Diamond-Based Breakthrough to Spot Metastatic Cancer

    Diamonds: Not Just for Jewelry, but Now for Cancer Detection!

    Revolutionary Tool in Breast Cancer Diagnostics

    Small, diamond-based sensors could help determine whether breast cancer has spread to the nearby lymph nodes, the researchers said.

    How It Works

    • Nanodiamond particles detect chemical signals emitted by malignant cells.
    • They fold into tiny sensors that fit neatly inside biopsy needles.
    • The sensor’s signal is read in real‑time, cutting down waiting times.

    Potential Impact

    Instead of waiting for pathologists to examine slides under a microscope, doctors could get a quick answer right during surgery. It’s a win‑win for patients and surgeons alike.

    Humor & Heart

    Think of it as a diamond rock star backstage in the OR—glittering, flashy, but actually lifesaving. Who knew that lab‑grown glitter could beat cancer hand‑shake?

    Diamonds Light Up the Pathway of Breast Cancer—A Tiny, Soothe‑Friendly Sensor

    Why Traditional Tracers Can Be a Pain

    Most surgeons resort to either radioactive ink or fancy fluorescent dyes to paint a picture of cancer spread—especially into the nearby lymph nodes.
    Yet:

    • Some folks are allergic to the dyes.
    • Rad‑tracing demands fancy labs and strict safety measures.
    • Both options add extra time to already‑busy operating rooms.

    Enter the Diamond‑Engineered Sensor

    British scientists at the University of Warwick have sidestepped those hassles by weaving “nitrogen‑vacancy centres” into a tiny diamond tip. These colour centres act like ultra‑sensitive magnetometers, picking up the faintest magnetic field changes in the body.

    Picture this: before or during a breast‑cancer operation, doctors inject a calm, magnetic tracer fluid straight into the tumour. That fluid drifts alongside the rogue, metastasised cells toward the lymph nodes.

    The dangling magnetic field is what the diamond sensor—just 10 mm long—detects, guiding surgeons to the exact nodes that need removal.

    What Makes This Tool Tick?

    • Non‑toxic and free from radioactive risk.
    • Compact enough for the operating theatre.
    • Magnetic detection is fast, precise, and (mostly) painless.

    Publication & Potential Impact

    The research landed in Physical Review Applied. While the tech behind the tracer was supplied by Endomagnetics Ltd., the paper didn’t highlight any funding ties. Dr. Stuart Robertson, a leading breast‑cancer surgeon in England, noted that magnetic ports are now standard tools, and this new approach could further refine their usefulness.

    Bottom Line

    With diamonds in the mix, surgeons might soon spot metastatic cancer pathways faster and safer—turning a once‑invasive diagnostic into a smooth, sparkle‑filled operation.

  • Scientists Unveil Diamond-Based Breakthrough to Spot Metastatic Cancer

    Why scientists think diamonds could help identify cancer that has spread

    Small, diamond-based sensors could help determine whether breast cancer has spread to the nearby lymph nodes, the researchers said.

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    UK scientists have designed a new way to trace breast cancer’s malignant route through the body – using diamonds.
    When cancer spreads, its first stop is often the nearby lymph nodes. Doctors typically use radioactive tracers or fluorescent dyes to make the cancer cells visible and identify just how much the disease has metastasised.

    But these approaches have some drawbacks: Some patients are allergic to the dyes, and some hospitals are not equipped for the extra precautions required when handling radioactive materials.
    Now, researchers have built a new type of sensor that they say offers a non-toxic and non-radioactive alternative.
    During or before breast cancer surgery, they said doctors could inject a magnetic tracer fluid into a patient’s tumour. The liquid then travels to the lymph nodes, along with the metastasised cancer cells.

    Related

    Why having your first child later in life raises the risk of postpartum breast cancer

    To track down the fluid and identify which nodes should be surgically removed, doctors would rely on a magnetic field sensor with a tiny diamond at the tip, the researchers said. Diamonds have nitrogen vacancy centres, or colour centres, that can sense magnetic fields.

    These colour centres “allow the diamond to detect very small changes in magnetic field and give the diamonds a lovely pink colour,” Gavin Morley, one of the study’s authors and a physics professor at the University of Warwick, said in a statement.
    Morley’s team got the sensor’s tip down to just 10 millimetres, which they said makes it the first diamond sensor to be able to find magnetic tracer fluid while still being small enough to use in surgeries.
    The researchers published their findings in the journal Physical Review Applied. They did not disclose any funding from Endomagnetics Ltd, which makes the magnetic tracer they used.
    Dr Stuart Robertson, a breast cancer surgeon in England, said magnetic sensors are now used regularly to identify whether breast cancer has spread.

    The new approach, he said, could help “optimise magnetic technology further”.