Prostate cancer is a serious disease and the second leading cause of cancer death among men in the United States.
A new study has shown great promise in treating prostate cancer using an innovative nanoparticle-based therapy.
This research, carried out by scientists from the University of Virginia, Mount Sinai, the University of Michigan, and the University of Texas, was recently published in the Journal of Urology.
The study tested a new treatment on 44 men who had localized prostate cancer, meaning the cancer had not spread beyond the prostate.
The treatment involved the use of tiny gold particles, known as gold nanoshells, that are much smaller than a human hair.
These gold nanoshells are special because they can be engineered to absorb certain types of light and turn it into heat.
When used in cancer treatment, they can be targeted directly at the cancer cells and heated up to destroy them, leaving healthy tissue around them unharmed.
To guide this treatment, doctors used advanced imaging techniques, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) combined with ultrasound fusion.
This technology allowed doctors to precisely locate the cancer and target it with a near-infrared laser that heats up the gold nanoshells. The heat then destroys the cancer cells without affecting the surrounding healthy tissue.
This method is called nanoparticle-directed focal photothermal ablation, and it has shown promising results. After 12 months, 73% of the men who received the treatment had no remaining cancer cells in the treated areas, according to follow-up biopsies.
Even better, the treatment had no negative impact on important functions such as urinary and sexual health. This means patients could be treated for their cancer without suffering from the serious side effects that often come with other treatments.
Dr. Jennifer L. West, one of the authors of the study and a key inventor of this technology, said, “This therapy not only effectively eliminates cancerous cells but also preserves key quality-of-life factors, which is a huge win for patients.”
This groundbreaking treatment is a major step forward in prostate cancer care, offering hope for more effective and less harmful treatments in the future.
If you care about prostate cancer, please read studies about a natural ally against prostate cancer, and supplements and keto diet can boost immunotherapy for prostate cancer.
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