Scientists Capture Live Images of Growing Tumors: Combating Cancer

As cancer continues to remain a major health issue around the world, scientists continued to seek new ways to fight the problem. Now, they may have a new way to do so. Researchers have developed a sophisticated new optical imaging tool that enables scientists to look deep within tumors and uncover their inner workings. The new tool could help researchers better understand cancer and, in turn, develop new treatments.

Cancer rates continue to increase across the U.S. For example, an estimated 232,340 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in the U.S. alone in 2013. About 2,240 new cases are expected to be diagnosed in men. In addition, it's estimated that about 238,590 new prostate cancer cases will be diagnosed in men, according to the American Cancer Society. Needless to say, it's crucial to find new ways to better diagnose and treat these cancers.

The new optical imaging techniques could do just that. They track the movements of molecules, cells and fluids within tumors. In addition, they examine abnormalities in the blood vessel network inside them and observe how tumors are affected by treatments.

In all, there are two techniques. One is called multiphoton laser-scanning microscopy (MPLSM), which is an advanced fluorescence imaging technology that is now commercially available at the high end of the microscope market. The other method is called optical frequency domain imaging (OFDI), which images tissues by their light scattering properties. In fact, OFDI is already gaining popularity in the optical imaging field, but has yet to become commercially available.

"MPLSM overcomes many of the limitations from which conventional microscopy and confocal microscopy suffer, and OFDI provides robust large volume imaging data," said Dai Fukumura, one of the researchers, in a news release. "These optical imaging approaches can provide unprecedented insights in the biology and mechanisms of cancer."

In fact, the new techniques can provide images of live tumors--pictures that both Fukumura and his colleagues call "astonishing." These images in particular could represent the help that scientists need in order to better understand how treatments affect tumors which could, in turn, allow them to more quickly improve these treatments.

The findings will be presented at FiO 2013 taking place Oct. 6-10 in Orlando, Fla.