http://www.dailyexpress.co.uk/posts/view/95630
A “HEAT and destroy” prostate cancer treatment that obliterates tumours could provide a cure for the disease within three years, scientists claimed yesterday.
British researchers have developed a method of locating and destroying tumours at the same time by blasting prostate glands with millions of charged magnetic nanoparticles.
The particles illuminate any tumours under an MRI scan and radio waves are then used to heat the particles, which kills the tumour before it can spread.
It offers hope to the 34,000 men diagnosed with the disease each year in Britain. The University of Leicester has been awarded £325,000 to develop the treatment, which could also be used against breast, liver and colon cancers.
Research scientist Dr Glen Burley said: “People don’t always realise they have prostate cancer until it has spread to other parts of the body.
“The new treatment would be given to all patients to detect the tumour as early as possible and kill anything that shows up at the same time. We would like to have the method in use within three years.”
The disease kills 10,000 men in Britain each year. Current treatments include surgery to remove the prostate gland and intensive radiotherapy, but these can leave men incontinent and impotent.
Survival rates for advanced prostate cancer are one in three but the researchers believe they can improve the rate to 99 in 100.
Nicola Nagler, of The Prostate Cancer Charity, said it was too early to say for sure how effective the method would be but added “there’s no reason to suggest it can’t be a breakthrough”.
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