There is no cure for cancer, but treatment could be dramatically improved thanks to an invention out of the University of Waterloo.
Parsin Haji Reza and his team at the university are working to revolutionize cancer detection.
“We discovered that we can use our technology to distinguish between the healthy and cancerous tissue,” said Haji Reza, director of the PhotoMedicine Labs at the university.
They're developing a new type of imaging technology that finds cancer using laser light.
“This technology is like an ultrasound without the ultrasound transducer or without touching the patient with the probe,” said Martin Le, project collaborator and physics co-op student.
It’s an advancement that coulddiagnose patients sooner and eliminate the need for secondary surgeries.
“When the patient is under anesthesia, we can know exactly what to cut, how much to cut and where to cut,” said Haji Reza.
Currently, doctors rely on MRI images and CT scans to determine the size of tumors.
Researchers hope to develop a fully functioning system within the next two years.
“The next step is definitely going to be working with some hospitals in Ontario and Montreal,” said Haji Reza.
Before researchers say they will be able to use it directly on patients during operations.
