Scientists working at Washington University has developed a method to diagnose the cancer with the help of photoacoustic imagining. Photoacoustic imagining is a technique works by combining the ultrasound and laser light. The development may be helpful for clinician to diagnose ovarian cancer at early stage and that will lead to save lives.
The ovarian cancer detected at very early stage such as stage 1 or 2; the chemotherapy and other drugs can help to lower the risk and cancer by 70 to 90%. While the cancer diagnosed in the 3 or 4th stage has chance of about 20% or less than that, said Quing Zhu, one of the scientists involved in the study.
Clearly, early detection of cancer is only way to save any patient suffering from cancer or ovarian cancer. Yet, the current equipment or tests have success rate of 20 to 25% to detect at very early stage.
The Transvaginal ultrasound helps clinicians to see ovarian cancer, but it is very unclear view that either they are viewing a neoplastic tissue or ovarian cancer. This new technique combines the two techniques such as photoacoustic imaging and ultrasound where the light penetrates vaginal wall and on the bed in ovaries.
This technique helps clinicians to further research on structures and relevant parameters such as tumor and blood saturation. The research team at Washington University designed the probe with sheath containing laser-connected optical fiber. By using the probe, during a pilot study based on 16 patients, the researchers found hallmark on ovarian tumor including early stage tumor.
