Around one in three people in the UK will experience cancer at least once in their life, according to the latest studies from Cancer Research UK.
Despite the decrease in the incidence of the most common types of cancer, it has been estimated that we will see a rise in the number of rarer forms, such as liver and kidney.
The development of early diagnosis methods could in part explain the decrease in the sense that more tumors are diagnosed thanks to always more accurate diagnosis methods. On the other hand, the decrease of the most common tumours may be due to prevention protocols established by governments.
For instance, the standardisation of the PAP test to detects the presence of pre-cancerous and cancerous processes in a woman’s cervix has been fundamental in the reduction of cervical cancer. It stands to reason that the more common the type of cancer, the greater the awareness for it, which in turn can lead to better treatment and prevention.
Intense research is constantly being carried out in this field, and the synchrotron is moving developments along significantly.
The synchrotron is a machine that accelerates electrons in vacuum, and when the electrons are manipulated by magnets, they produce a special light that is used to carry out research in different fields.
The UK national synchrotron is the Diamond Light Source, located in Oxfordshire. Here, hundreds of scientists work on projects of different kinds, including the development of devices that may allow oncologists to conduct a more accurate and early diagnosis of tumours, such as the synchrotron-based microFTIR.
“We use the infrared part of the light produced by the electrons,” explains Professor Josep Sulé-Suso, associate specialist and senior lecturer in oncology at Keele University. “Using this light, we can study single cells and even particles within the cell.”
In conventional diagnosis methods, such as cytology and histology, scientists must take tissue samples big enough to allow for an analysis of their structure, cell shape, nucleus shape, size and so on. This often prevent doctors from identifying small or early-stage tumours.
Synchrotron-based microFTIR would allow specialists to verify the presence of single cancerous cells. Says Professor Sulé-Suso: “We know cancer cells are different from normal cells. Using infrared light from [the] synchrotron, we may be able in the future to identify biochemical differences between cancer cells and normal cells at a single cell level.”
Moreover, scientists may be able to forecast the eventual development of abnormal cells into cancerous cells. Professor Sulé-Suso explains: “If we have got a sample in which the standard techniques say that this cells is abnormal but not cancer yet, but spectroscopy is able to say this is abnormal but due to the biochemical make up of this cell definitely will become cancer, so that would to treat this earlier.”
It may require several years before scientists like Professor Sulé-Suso are able to use this approach as standard procedure in hospitals. Ideally its use would be combined with a traditional method.
“A lot of work needs to be done,” says Professor Sulé-Suso. “The aim is not just to diagnose cancer, but to be able to diagnose at early stages so patients can start treatments earlier and therefore increase chances of longer survival.”
Although most of the scientists working at Diamond are there to assist external research projects, Dr Tina Geraki, has been using the machine to research breast cancer for more than ten years. Specifically, she’s been looking at metals.
“The accumulation of specific metals helps the tumour to grow and become more aggressive,” Dr Geraki explains.
Since cancer cells are characterised by the presence of high levels of metals, which act as a sort of nourishment for the tumour, researchers have developed a group of drugs called ‘chelators’. These chemicals bind to the metals in order to hinder tumour growth.
“If the accumulation of specific metals helps the tumour to grow and become more aggressive,” explains Dr Geraki, “if you target it with something that removes it, it can help in certain cases.”
The study of these drugs is yet another realm in which the synchrotron light has found an application.
Thanks to the synchrotron, many studies which would require months can be carried out in few days. Maybe further improvement of Diamond’s facility will allow the development of better treatments and prevention of tumours. Indeed, the first in the next phase of facilities at Diamond will open later this year.
Image: Dr. Raowf Guirguis, National Cancer Institute
For more, see Elements’ special report on Diamond Light Source.