Microchip monitors cancer growth

Boffins over at Germany have come up with a new microchip sensor which is said to be able to monitor the growth of a tumor when implanted close to one. How does this microchip do what it has been touted to? Simple – it will be able to track oxygen levels in nearby tissue, capable of detecting whether a tumour is expanding or not. All results will be transmitted wirelessly over to the patient’s doctor, which hopefully will result in fewer trips to the hospitals for scans.

It seems that the same group of researchers are already working on future designs that will boast of a medication pump which is capable of delivering drugs straight to the affected area, which hopefully, will end up in a more targeted cancer treatment without the aggressiveness of chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

This microchip will especially target tumors that are difficult to remove, such as those located near the spine that has a very high risk of severing a nerve should the surgical route be taken by the patient. I wonder just what will be used to power this microchip, or does it have a shelf life of sorts?

I still believe that the best form of cancer treatment is through a serious alteration in diet with raw and living foods – the proof is there, but somehow, it has failed to gain traction as doctors tend to recommend only two solutions to cancer – bombard it with radiation or undergo a course of chemotherapy, or to surgically remove the growth if possible. What do you think?

Edwin Kee
Categories: Gadgets, Medical
Tags: cancer, sensor