New Cancer Treatment Method Uses Ultraviolet Light To Kill Cancer Cells: Is It Better Than Chemotherapy?

A scientist from the University of Texas San Antonio claims to have developed a new cancer treatment method which makes use of ultraviolet light to kills cancer cells. Early test results indicate that the new experimental treatment in question has the potential to be more effective and less invasive than current methods like chemotherapy.

According to Matthew Gdovin, the university's associate professor at the Department of Biology, the new cancer treatment may also be used to treat inoperable or hard-to-reach tumors. Gdovin tested the method on triple negative breast cancer, which is among the most aggressive kinds of cancer and among the most difficult ones in terms of treatment. After one treatment in the laboratory, he was able to stop the tumor from growing and double chances of survival in mice.

The experiment, which was performed on lab mice, eliminated up to 95 percent of targeted cancer cells in mice in just two hours. The process involved injecting a chemical compound called nitrobenzaldehyde into the tumor to allow it to spread into the tissue. The next step was exposing the tumor to a beam of ultraviolet light. The combined effect caused cancerous cells to become extremely acidic and essentially, commit suicide, according to a UT San Antonio press release.

Gdovin explained that even if there are various cancer types, they all share one thing in common, and that is to commit cell suicide.

It was found that unlike chemotherapy treatments, which target all cells in the body, the new cancer cure method limits the treatment to a specific area. This makes it appealing for use in complicated areas like the brain stem or spine. It would also be an option for those who have had the maximum possible radiation treatment or children at risk of mutation from radiation treatment.

"There are so many types of cancer for which the prognosis is very poor. We are thinking outside the box and finding a way to do what for many people is simply impossible," said Prof Gdovin.

The research has been published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.