New laser technology for cancer treatment

FAU has been working with new laser technology that better distinguishes cancerous tissue from healthy tissue

Andrew+C.+Terentis%2C+Ph.D.%2C+lead+scientist+of+the+study+and+an+associate+professor+of+chemistry+and+biochemistry+in+FAU%E2%80%99s+Charles+E.+Schmidt+College+of+Science.+Photo+courtesy+of+Dr.+Andrew+C.+Terentis%0A

Andrew C. Terentis, Ph.D., lead scientist of the study and an associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry in FAU’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. Photo courtesy of Dr. Andrew C. Terentis

Ha’ani Sumerix, Contributing Writer

Photo courtesy of Dr. Andrew C. Terentis
Photo courtesy of Dr. Andrew C. Terentis

Florida Atlantic University has broken new ground for skin cancer treatment, and potentially all cancer treatment.

According to a study in Lasers in Surgery and Medicine Journal, scientists and physicians in the Schmidt College of Science have made significant advancements in the capabilities of the Raman spectroscopy by using it to distinguish between normal and cancerous tissue, something that had not been done before.

Raman spectroscopy is a vibrational laser technique developed 50 years ago to detect and calculate the changes in light that is reflected back from a tissue sample by collecting a unique chemical fingerprint of molecules that they can be identified by, according to a science outreach program from the University of St. Andrews, Seeing Life through a New Light.

Different types of tissue give off different and unique light scattering patterns when the light is reflected back due to the light molecules vibrating at different energy levels. The differences in wavelength can determine if the tissue is healthy or not because cancerous tissue has a different light scattering signature than normal tissue.

Leading scientist on this project and an associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry in FAU’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Dr. Andrew Terentis, used an ablation laser on a tissue sample to cut out the cancer, then went in with the raman laser to determine if there was any cancerous tissue left.

This technology could be more effective than existing skin cancer treatments like Mohs surgery, recognized as the skin cancer treatment with the highest cure rate, according to the American Society for Mohs Surgery.

However, a person going through Mohs surgery would have to rely on the eyes of the doctor to remove the roots of the cancerous tissue.

Dr. Terentis explains it is “a very painstaking process to cut a little bit of cancer out, do some histopathology, then go back into the patient and take a little more out.” This is what inspired him to make a faster and better way to essentially vaporize the cancer with the raman laser.

John Strasswimmer, M.D., Ph.D. is a contributor to raman laser technology research and affiliate faculty member in FAU’s Schmidt College of Medicine. He is also a skin cancer specialist and director of the Melanoma and Cutaneous Oncology Program at the Lynn Cancer Institute and Moffitt Cancer Network.

“Traditionally cancer is treated by cutting it out with a scalpel … or [by] burn[ing] away the cancer with a different type of laser,” said Strasswimmer. “But there is not a way of knowing if there is microscopic cancer left.” This new application of laser technology will be able to tell if there is residual cancer left.

He expresses how this could be a breakthrough for skin cancer treatment: “rather than crack open the ribs, it would be nice to put a tiny cable in the lungs, burn [the cancer] with a laser, and use a laser to make sure it’s gone.”

Dr. Terentis also shares how it could improve cancer patients’ lives by eliminating some concern that comes from being physically sick. For example, instead of cutting out large portions of cancer on the face, the lasers will be able to “take as little tissue out as possible,” lessening the need for cosmetic surgery post operation.

This is a part of a project called the smart scalpel, which is a way of treating the cancer using little instruments or tiny cables to burn away cancer and detect if it is still there.

Dr. Terentis states that the next step would be to use this treatment on live patients, which he believes could “revolutionize the way skin cancer is treated, it would make it faster, more accurate, more efficient, better cosmetic outcomes for the patient.”