{"id":32889,"date":"2018-03-19T17:47:48","date_gmt":"2018-03-19T21:47:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sciencebusiness.technewslit.com\/?p=32889"},"modified":"2018-03-20T11:58:35","modified_gmt":"2018-03-20T15:58:35","slug":"more-accurate-thyroid-cancer-screening-technology-advances","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/technewslit.com\/sciencebusiness\/?p=32889","title":{"rendered":"More Accurate Thyroid Cancer Screening Technology Advances"},"content":{"rendered":"
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(SD-Pictures, Pixabay)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

19 March 2018. A European initiative is developing a laser-enhanced technology to better distinguish between cancerous and benign thyroid nodules, for catching thyroid cancer earlier as well as preventing unnecessary surgeries. A team from the EU-funded Laser and Ultrasound Co-analyzer for Thyroid Nodules, or LUCA<\/a>, project is scheduled to describe its technology, designed for use in a point-of-care diagnostics device, at the OSA Biophotonics Congress<\/a>, 3-6 April, in Hollywood, Florida, put on by The Optical Society.<\/p>\n

Thyroid nodules<\/a> are lumps that form in the thyroid gland<\/a>, found at the base of the neck, secreting hormones that control metabolism. Most thyroid nodules are small and not readily noticed without a medical exam, with only a few ever becoming cancerous. Current techniques for determining the presence of cancer in thyroid nodules, however, relies on screening with ultrasound that returns low-resolution images, followed by fine-needle biopsies that often return false-positive results. Because of these tests, many patients are at risk for undergoing unnecessary surgeries, with avoidable costs and a lower quality of life.<\/p>\n

“The problem is in the poor specificity of the current\u00a0approaches which leads to a significant number of unnecessary biopsies\u00a0and surgeries,” says LUCA project coordinator Turgut Durduran<\/a>, in an Optical Society statement<\/a>. “Unfortunately, current imaging or screening\u00a0modalities are not able to distinguish malignant nodules from benign nodules\u00a0with a good specificity.” Durduran is a physicist who leads the medical optics group at Institute of Photonic Sciences, with the Spanish acronym IFCO, in Barcelona, Spain.<\/p>\n

LUCA’s approach builds on existing ultrasound methods, but adds on two laser-based processes. One of those optical processes is near-infrared diffuse correlation spectroscopy<\/a> that is non-invasive, can probe several centimeters into tissue, and provides high-resolution images. A review of the technology in 2017 indicates the process can monitor monitor diseases, including tumor growth, in a number of organs. Portable near-infrared diffuse correlation spectroscopy applications are also available.<\/p>\n

The second optical enhancement to ultrasound is time-resolved spectroscopy<\/a> that uses laser-pulse waves to excite chemicals and measure reactions within nano- or picoseconds. This process, says the project team, can collect data that indicate presence of fluids, like water and lipids. Together with ultrasound, near-infrared diffuse correlation spectroscopy and time-resolved spectroscopy are expected to more accurately identify blood vessel growth characteristic of tumor formation that today may be missed.<\/p>\n

The researchers say its prototype system is a probe that includes custom-designed electronics for emitting laser and ultrasound, but also for cooling the device. Nonetheless, they say the cost of their device is a fraction of commercially available systems.<\/p>\n

Early results of a pilot test are also showing promise, according to Durduran. “In a pilot study,” notes Durduran, “the mere fact that the ultrasound screening was carried out next to our measurements identified a malignant nodule in a healthy, young\u00a0volunteer, and we have seen that many nodules that went all the way to a\u00a0surgery turned out to be benign.”<\/p>\n

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